


Be My Ever After

by peetzahjoe



Series: NaNoWriMo Novels [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, M/M, brief mentions of past abuse, emotional and physical, i do not claim to know how movie sets work, just go with it, lots of random sex talk, more to be added later probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 11:41:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 129,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5706346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peetzahjoe/pseuds/peetzahjoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the break up with Eric, Ryan was pretty sure he'd never want to be in a relationship again. Even if he did, he was pretty sure it wouldn't be while he was in college.</p><p>(Crappy summaries are crappy, as usual)<br/>NaNoWriMo 2k15 project :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME TO THE NANOWRIMO 2k15 MONSTER. This story was never supposed to get as ridiculously long as it turned out to be. I had one, small idea (that I came up with in January of 2015. It was torture to wait all those months) and it turned into a 232 page, ~130k monster...hence the reason it is being broken into parts.  
> Warning, though. This first section has 119 pages worth of content, and the second will probably be about ~100 pages worth of content. The rest is the epilogue, which will be it's own chapter.
> 
> As you read, you will notice links embedded into pieces. These links either lead to songs mentioned, reference images, or tumblr posts that inspired what is going on in the scene. If you end up on a tumblr post, reading the tags I added onto the post may help to understand what is going on, lol. There was a lot of random inspirations from Tumblr. Bless Tumblr (sometimes).  
> In addition to these links, there will be small numbers that correspond to notes that will be at the end of the sections to explain some things. Ctrl F will become your friend when it comes to those little notes.
> 
> I had a constant soundtrack while writing this. And by that, I mean Astoria by Marianas Trench (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYcDgRv53lk&list=PLS9qEoB9uNZYax8VALkQTkCM35nzX75dB) came out on October 23, 2015 and I have been listening to it since. I highly recommend the album. It is wonderful. (read: Marianas Trench is wonderful. They are love, they are life)  
> Though, there was also a small dash of Panic! at the Disco that I listened to (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpTaklncJUfAWcrdEi2mOKhWkc85xaVMV).
> 
> I would also to add a little thank you to the friends who helped me through the writing process (Jennie, Christy, Ashtyn, Ariana, and Jesus). I realize only, like, two of these people will open this and see this, but whatever. I appreciate all the help they gave no matter what (and I know I gave one inspiration for engagement rings for her and her gf, so go me!)
> 
> If, at any time, while you're reading you get curious as to how I picture these characters, head on over to http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/midnightswallowsbbys. This is a collection of my headcanon cast of all my bbys. This ranges from the core characters of Midnight Swallows & TV Cameras to some of the core characters in this story, including pets. Ctrl F also comes in handy if you are looking for someone specific :)
> 
> And with that, enjoy my NaNoWriMo 2k15 project!
> 
> (Also, appreciate that I had to edit my end notes bc they got too long. Oops)

“Remind me again why we are out running at this ungodly hour in February,” Ryan huffed out, breath visibly curling out and away from his mouth. Hayden barked out a laugh next to him and slapped his arm lightly.

“Because you agreed to come with me and you’re nervous over that dumb movie casting,” she replied as they turned the corner that led to their apartment building.

“Ugh. God, I shouldn’t be such a good friend,” Ryan complained as he flopped his arms to his sides dramatically even as he kept pace with Hayden. She simply laughed again and shook her head slightly.

“I don’t even understand why you get so nervous over castings anymore. You’re famous at this point, people want you in their films,” Hayden told him.

“Hayds, I’ve been famous since before my dads knew I was a boy,” Ryan retorted with a snort. Hayden rolled her eyes and smacked his arm again as they slowed their pace the closer they got to their building.

“Tone the sass down,” she commented. “Stretches outside or inside?”

“Outside. If we go inside everything will hurt because we’ll be thawing out,” Ryan replied easily as he jogged behind their building.

“This is why I keep you around. Only for your common sense,” Hayden hummed as she followed behind Ryan. Ryan simply hummed in agreement and huffed out a visible breath as they both started to stretch out their muscles. “You gonna make Dev bring Hestia out for her morning walk?”

“God yeah. I’m waking his ass up and then getting in a hot shower,” Ryan snorted as he stretched his arms above his head to pop his back. “I know he’s gonna retort that she’s _my dog_ but he’s the one that has made her lazy in the past year.”

“True,” Hayden giggled in agreement as she pulled her hat off and shook out her hair. “Now c’mon. Time to go into the warmth of our lovely apartment.”

“Yes please!” Ryan chirped as he darted to the back door of their building and pulled out his keys. Hayden hummed and jumped onto Ryan’s back while he opened the door. Ryan simply smiled and rolled his eyes as he walked towards the elevators. Ryan and Hayden both exchanged smiles and waves with Barney at the front desk when they saw him.

“Nice run on this frigid morning?” Barney asked.

“Can’t you tell by the Rudolph noses we’re sporting, Barns?” Hayden asked in response as she bat her eyelids at him. Ryan rolled his eyes and pinched Hayden’s thigh lightly. Barney simply smiled and shook his head.

“My end goal was that you’re both insane,” Barney replied.

“We know,” Ryan replied. “And make sure Devin actually takes Hestia on a walk and doesn’t just bring her out back, please.”

“Yes, sir,” Barney replied as he saluted Ryan, who rolled his eyes and flicked Barney off even as he climbed onto the elevator with Hayden still clinging to his back.

“Fuck off, Barney! Stop calling me sir!” Ryan called out as the elevator doors closed. Hayden burst into a fit of giggles as the elevator started moving and dropped off of Ryan’s back.

“He does it just to annoy you,” she laughed.

“Oh, I know,” Ryan huffed out. “Doesn’t mean it’s not annoying. I’m not nearly old enough to be called _sir_ yet.”

“I dunno, Ry. You teach classes at your dad’s studio,” Hayden said with a shrug as the elevator doors open and she skipped out of them.

“Doesn’t mean I need to be called _sir_ ,” Ryan countered as he followed after her and tossed his keys at her as she reached the door. Hayden simply hummed and easily caught the keys in order to open the door.

“Devin!” Hayden screamed as soon as they were through the door, easily dodging Hestia as the one and a half year old puppy launched herself in Ryan’s direction. Ryan smiled and shut the door before he leaned down to let Hestia greet him in her usual manner of a plethora of kisses.

“Yes, I missed you too, Hesty. That hour was just too long, huh, baby girl?” Ryan asked as he ruffled Hestia’s ears. Hestia simply continued to lick at Ryan’s cheeks, her tail wagging madly behind her.

“God you’re ridiculous,” Hayden commented as she kicked off her sneakers and then hung her hat up. Ryan beamed at her and then sat down on the floor fully so Hestia could crowd into his lap. “Like, I can’t even imagine what you’re gonna be like if you ever have kids.”

“Probably the same as Daddy,” Ryan chirped easily as he hugged Hestia to his chest even as she continued to try and lick at his cheeks.

“Mmh, if Riker with the beanies is any indication, yeah,” Hayden hummed before she walked over to the hallway that her and Devin’s rooms were down. “Devin, I swear to god if you don’t get up and take Hestia out I will drag you out of bed and lock you out on the balcony!”

“Fuckin’ hell! It is barely eight-thirty!” Devin complained loudly.

“And you have class at ten, you lazy piece of shit,” Ryan called out as he finally pulled himself away from Hestia and got up. Hestia huffed out an annoyed breath and padded after Ryan, nails clicking softly on the wooden floor.

“God, I hate both of you!” Devin moaned.

“Yet if it wasn’t for us you’d never get to class,” Hayden scoffed as she walked down the hall, already pulling her clothes off. “Now go take Hesty for a walk while the Ry-ski and I shower.”

“Stop trying to come up with nicknames, you’re terrible at them,” Ryan laughed as he grabbed Hestia’s harness and then walked over to Devin’s doorway to throw it at Devin, who simply grunted when the harness landed on him. “C’mon, dude. It doesn’t have to be a long walk. Just take her around the block. I’ve got her play time later, which we all know you hate more than her morning walk.”

“Fuck you,” Devin grumbled before he began to pull himself out of bed.

“Love you!” Ryan squeaked in response before he bound down the hallway to his own bathroom to shower.

“You’re a demon!” Devin squawked.

“And you’re dating my demon sister!” Ryan retorted as he turned on the shower and then began to pull of his clothes.

“You got me there,” Devin replied a few seconds later, which caused Hayden to bark out a laugh from her and Devin’s shared bathroom.  “If I’m not back in half an hour assume I’ve died from exposure!”

“Drama queen!” Hayden called out.

“Yep!” Devin replied quickly before they heard the front door closed, quickly followed by an excited bark from Hestia. Not long after, Ryan heard Hayden start to sing [Decided to Break it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n6i7XSxlUw) to herself and he smiled to himself as he warmed up beneath the hot spray of the shower.

“My family has engulfed you in Marianas Trench!” Ryan called out. Hayden giggled before she went back to singing rather than actually responding. Ryan just snorted and shook his head as he continued to shower.

“French toast?” Hayden asked a few minutes later as Ryan heard her banging around in the kitchen.

“You know me so well,” Ryan replied as he shut off his shower and grabbed his towel.

“I know how ridiculously nervous you get on cast call days,” Hayden retorted. “Your nervous breakfast is different than your good mood breakfast.”

“Again with knowing me well…” Ryan scoffed as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and Riker’s high school soccer hoodie. Hayden smiled gently at him as he appeared.

“I’m sure you’ll get it,” she assured as she pulled out eggs and bread.

“I hope so. The part actually means a great deal to me,” Ryan breathed. Hayden smiled and pat Ryan’s cheek.

“And Lydia knows that,” Hayden crooned. “It also helps that she’s known you since you were, like, ten.”

“Shut up. Lydia isn’t biased in that way,” Ryan grumbled. Hayden rolled her eyes and flicked Ryan’s ear before she put a few slices of egg soaked bread onto the griddle.

“You’re getting too down on yourself. You’ve been acting for nearly five years now. You’re so talented and great at what you do. There’s a reason you’re a Castellan,” Hayden told him. It was Ryan’s turn to roll his eyes as he spun his phone on the countertop. “Just calm down. It’s gonna work out. Even if you don’t get this role it’s not gonna change your whole life.”

“But it could,” Ryan argued. “I’d finally get to be a lead in something _meaningful_. This isn’t just another random role of a side character. And no, I don’t care about _breaking into the scene_. I’m already there. I care because the character means a lot.”

“I know, boo,” Hayden cooed. “And you care about it so much, and how much you care shows when you act. That’s why you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“ _God_ , how do you guys run this early in the morning?” Devin asked as he burst through the door, Hestia panting happily at his side. “I thought I was gonna freeze my nuts off.”

“Again, _drama queen_ ,” Hayden giggled as she flipped over some of the Fresh toast. “Now come eat some breakfast before you have to leave for class.”

“Do I hafta go to class?” Devin complained as he released Hestia from her harness.

“Yeah, dude, you do,” Ryan laughed as he leaned down slightly to scratch Hestia’s head as she bound over to him. Devin heaved out a sigh as he sat next to Ryan and leaned dramatically against Ryan’s shoulder.

“I could just drop out and rely on Lasey’s money. God knows she’s gonna be bringin’ in tons of money once she finally gets to opening her own practice,” Devin said.

“I’ll make sure to let her know that you’re willing to be her trophy husband,” Ryan assured as he ruffled Devin’s hair affectionately.

“Thanks, bro. You’re the best,” Devin hummed happily as he nuzzled into Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan chuckled and rested his head against Devin’s while Hayden shook her head at them.

“You’re both ridiculous,” she told them.

“We know,” Devin replied. “But that happens when you’ve known each other since you were toddlers.”

“Yeah. Look at my dads,” Ryan barked out as he scratched at Hestia’s muzzle lightly as she pushed her nose into his dangling hand.

“Your dads are disgustingly sweet. I don’t know how they manage it,” Hayden scoffed.

“Lots of practice,” Ryan and Devin replied. Hayden hummed in response, but then they all froze as Ryan’s phone began to ring. Ryan stared down at it with wide eyes while Devin and Hayden both giggled. Devin slapped at Ryan’s arm lightly and then shoved Ryan’s phone in his face.

“Don’t keep Lydia waiting!” Devin trilled as he wiggled the phone in Ryan’s face. Ryan grunted in annoyance and swat at Devin before he grabbed his phone.

“Ryan!” Lydia immediately squeaked. “How does this morning find you, darling?”

“I don’t know yet,” Ryan replied. Lydia laughed loudly and Ryan fidgeted in his seat while Hestia nosed at his leg since he had pulled his hand away from her snout.

“Oh, honey. After all these years and you still get all worked up,” Lydia cooed.

“Don’t mock. This is the first real, meaningful role I’ve gone for,” Ryan grumbled. Lydia hummed thoughtfully and if they had been face-to-face, Ryan knew that she would have pat his cheek lovingly at this point.

“Yes. And you played the part perfectly. Congratulations, Ry,” Lydia hummed. A wide smile immediately broke out across Ryan’s face and both Devin and Hayden perked up.

“I got it?” Ryan asked.

“You got it, hon,” Lydia assured with a small laugh.

“I got it!” Ryan squealed happily as he thrust both hands into the air, completely forgetting he was on a call. Hestia looked up in alarm but then began to run around the kitchen happily, tail going a mile a minute, while Devin and Hayden bugled out happily and tackled Ryan into a hug.

“You got it!” they both squealed happily as Hestia began to bark happily and tried to jump into the middle of the hug. Ryan laughed happily and collapsed into his best friends’ embrace as they bugled their praises at him, the phone long forgotten on the counter.

000000

“Ryan! Good to see you again, kiddo!” Josh exclaimed as Ryan darted out of the humid, May air and back into the busy building. Ryan smiled and allowed Josh to embrace him.

“Hey, Josh,” Ryan added.

“I was so happy to see you got cast as Theo,” Josh commented as he placed his hands on Ryan’s shoulders and smiled. “But I also hate you because I’m gonna have to cover up that [huge tattoo](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f2/ce/35/f2ce35620868ae924d8a001f4cfb64c6.jpg) on your side.”

“Oh, shut up,” Ryan laughed as he swat at Josh, who chuckled and ruffled Ryan’s hair. “Have you seen where Devin got off to, by the way?”

“Yeah. That way,” Josh said as he indicated over his shoulder. Ryan peeked over and spotted Devin’s messy hair.

“Thanks, Josh! I’ll see you later!” Ryan squeaked before he darted off to fight his way through the people between himself and Devin.

As he got closer, Ryan pushed through a few crew members and stumbled, falling passed a few chairs and right into the waiting arms of his best friend. Devin barked out a laugh and straightened Ryan and then pat Ryan's shoulder before he handed Hestia's leash over.

"Your [lack of grace](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/98580049399/hellasterek-spatial-awareness-is-not-dylans) while walking still astounds me," Devin commented. Ryan simply rolled his eyes and then leaned down to adjust Hestia's harness, even as the dog wiggled around and tried to lick his face.

"Hestia, stop wiggling for  _five seconds_ ," Ryan complained as he tried to wrangle her into submission. Hestia just barked once and licked across Ryan's face. Ryan heard Devin snort and looked up to snark at Devin, only to see Devin looking elsewhere. "What?"

"That guy is watching you pretty closely, bro," Devin replied as he subtly gestured. Ryan turned to look in the direction Devin indicated. He was greeted with the sight of dark haired guy with ridiculously attractive scruff and muscles. Ryan eyed the guy appreciatively and then met the guy's eyes.

The pair of green-hazel eyes widened comically before the guy blushed and looked away. Devin practically roared with laughter as he pulled Ryan up into a standing position and shoved Ryan in the direction of the guy. Ryan swat at Devin but followed the nudge even as Devin followed behind, Hestia on their heels.

Ryan came to a stop in front of the guy and smiled widely, bouncing on his toes slightly. Devin snorted quietly behind Ryan and Ryan shifted in order to kick Devin in the shin lightly.

"Hi! I'm Ryan!" Ryan chirped happily. The guy blushed and nodded jerkily.

"I-I know," the guy breathed out.

"Yeah, his fame tends to precede him," Devin laughed. Ryan rolled his eyes at Devin and pinched Devin's side. Devin yelped and slapped Ryan's hand before he curled into himself to sulk.

"Even if my fame precedes me, I like to introduce myself to my co-stars," Ryan hummed. "I'm guessing you're also one of the actors?"

"Yeah," the guy coughed out. "I'm Grayson."

Ryan smiled brightly and extended a hand out to Grayson, even as Hestia attempted to gain Grayson's attention. Grayson eyed Ryan nervously, eyes darting around Ryan's face, before he accepted the extended hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Grayson," Ryan said as his smile softened slightly.

"Same to you," Grayson agreed as he smiled back and both of their grips tightened in each other's briefly before they released the handshake.

However, they both continued to inspect each other's faces before the moment was officially broken by a miffed yip from Hestia and snort from Devin.

“Oh my _god_ , Hestia, you do not need attention from everyone at all times of the day!’ Ryan told her as he looked down at her. Hestia simply looked back up at him as she sat down and then panted happily while she wagged her tail. Ryan quirked an eyebrow at her, which resulted in her releasing a happy yip. Devin snorted and clapped Ryan on the shoulder.

“Her attention whore tendencies are all your fault and you know it,” Devin added.

“I know,” Ryan sighed as Hestia nudged Ryan’s knee with her nose before turning around to look at Grayson hopefully. Grayson eyed her and smiled slightly as he held out a hand for her to sniff. Hestia’s tail wagged even faster at that as she nudged his hand happily in hopes of being pet. “God, we better hope no one ever tries to rob us. She’d just ask to be pet.”

“Nah. She nearly ripped my hand apart the one time I came in at two in the morning and pat her head. She’s still defensive,” Devin commented airily. Grayson looked over at them with wide eyes. “Don’t worry, she’s a sweetie the rest of the time. Just make sure you don’t threaten Ryan. I’ve witnessed Hestia try to take down Lasey when Lasey wrestled Ryan to the floor.”

“That’s because Hestia is my good baby girl,” Ryan cooed as he leaned down to hug Hestia to his chest. Hestia wiggled happily and licked Ryan’s face enthusiastically.

“How old is she?” Grayson asked.

“Year and a half,” Ryan replied as he stood back up, making sure to keep one hand rested on the top of Hestia’s head. “Best spontaneous decision I ever made.”

“More like best _rage fueled_ spontaneous decision you ever made,” Devin said as he slapped one hand to Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan rolled his eyes and jabbed Devin in the ribs with his elbow. Devin grunted and then pinched Ryan’s arm in retaliation.

“Boys! Don’t start!” Lydia’s voice suddenly barked out as she appeared out of the crowd. Ryan immediately plastered an innocent smile on his face while Devin’s eyes widened. “Ryan, you know that doesn’t work on my anymore. You’re not as tiny and adorable as you were when you were ten.”

“Dammit,” Ryan breathed even as Lydia chuckled and pulled him into a tight hug. “I always gotta try. It still works on Daddy. He complains that I’ve taught the twins bad habits.”

“You have taught them bad habits,” Devin countered as he looked over at Ryan with a sarcastic expression.

“So have you, jerk,” Ryan replied.

“Hey, stop it right now or else you’re not allowed to hang on set with Ryan,” Lydia said as she pointed at Devin warningly. Devin deflated quickly and pouted. Lydia rolled her eyes and then smiled over at Grayson. “I see you’ve met Ryan and his annoying other half, Devin.”

“Hey! Hestia is my other half!” Ryan squawked. Hestia panted happily at the mention of her name and Lydia rolled her eyes as she brushed the comment off.

“Anyway, the next week is just going to be getting everything set up and getting to know people,” Lydia said as she looked between Ryan and Grayson. Then, she turned to look between Ryan and Devin. “And that means you two need to _not_ destroy the sets that are already up. I _will_ call your fathers if anything happens.”

“Hey, it’s usually Devin’s fault,” Ryan said defensively, causing Devin to squawk indignantly.

“Which makes me question why I still allow you to bring him with you,” Lydia sighed.

“Because you love us,” Devin said sweetly as he draped an arm over Ryan’s shoulders while Ryan smiled widely. Lydia rolled her eyes and then walked off, waving a hand over her shoulder.

“How long have you known her?” Grayson asked.

“Since we were ten. That’s when Dad got back into the acting business and he had to bring Lasey and me with him sometimes,” Ryan replied as he tightened his grip on Hestia’s leash as she tried to dart away. Devin hummed in agreement and then walked over to flop onto a couch. Ryan easily followed, and then grunted as Hestia jumped into his lap. Grayson followed at a slower pace and sat down on Ryan’s free side.

“So, how’d you get into acting?” Devin asked as he peeked around Ryan to look at Grayson, who shrugged.

“Just saw casting calls and thought it would be fun, to be honest,” Grayson replied. “I’m not even majoring in anything even closely related to acting.”

“Really?” Ryan asked. “What do you major in?”

“Art and biology,” Grayson replied easily.

“Wow, acting is out of left field, then,” Devin snorted. Grayson hummed in agreement.

“Yeah, but my college is close to here so the ads were everywhere,” Grayson replied.

“Yeah? Which school?” Ryan asked as he tilted his head to look at Grayson, who looked back almost nervously.

“Swarthmore1,” Grayson said.

“What, really? We both go there!” Ryan squeaked. “I mean, obviously not in the same departments as you, but still!”

“Yeah, screw biology and art. Film and media all the way,” Devin said coolly. Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Don’t let Hayds hear you say that,” Ryan added as he latched onto Hestia as she tried to dart off to say hello to anyone that walked by.

“You guys really go there?” Grayson asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you on campus.”

“Because if we’re not in class we’re either in the theater or in our apartment that we moved into second semester freshman year,” Ryan told him. Grayson’s eyebrows shot up at that as he tilted his head to the side.

“You were able to move off campus during freshman year?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah. It was kinda necessary,” Ryan replied with a hard voice. Devin easily placed a hand on the back of Ryan’s neck then and rubbed his thumb along Ryan’s skin. Hestia noticed that Ryan tensed and looked back at him to lick his chin. Ryan smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. Grayson looked between them questioningly, but didn’t say anything.

“Ay, Ry! C’mere! I wanna practice covering up that tattoo of yours!” Josh suddenly called out. Ryan smiled and shook his head.

“Aye, aye! Be right there!” Ryan replied as he nudged Hestia off of his lap and ten handed her leash to Devin. He then saluted both Devin and Grayson, who both snorted. “Duty calls!”

“Yeah, you get that side all covered up!” Devin called out. Ryan simply smiled and flicked Devin off over his shoulder as Devin cackled behind him.

000000

“Ryan, over there,” Lydia said as she indicated a corner of the set he and Grayson were standing in. Ryan followed her indication and then turned to smile at her. Lydia smiled back and then turned her attention to Grayson.

“Workin’ them so hard before filming even starts,” Devin chuckled as he appeared at Lydia’s shoulder. She simply hummed in response and then walked over to Grayson in order to move him to where she wanted him.

“This way when we start they have an idea of what is wanted,” Lydia added as she shifted Grayson back a few steps. “And you’re only complaining because you don’t have anything to do yet. You should be bugging Rhonda and Frank rather than me since they’re the real reason you’re here.”

“You’re ruining my fun, Lydia,” Devin complained.

“God, how terrible,” Ryan snorted. Devin made a face at Ryan and then ran over to [slap Ryan’s cheek](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/76967367460). Ryan squawked and darted after Devin. Devin ducked behind Grayson quickly and Grayson squeaked as Ryan jumped towards him.

“Boys!” Lydia exclaimed. “You are twenty, not ten!”

“Hey, they are heaps better than they were at ten,” a voice said from behind them. Ryan and Devin both immediately turned and Ryan smiled widely.

“Daddy!” Ryan squeaked happily as he ran over to launch himself at Riker, who grunted as Ryan collided with him. Lydia sighed heavily and glared over at Riker.

“You couldn’t have given me any warning?” Lydia asked. Riker smiled innocently even as he hugged Ryan and kissed the top of Ryan’s head.

“You know how I like to surprise my children,” Riker replied as Ryan giggled and continued to hug Riker tightly.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Lydia grumbled as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Oh, stop trying to intimidate me. You know it doesn’t work,” Riker laughed as he and Ryan finally released each other.

“Yeah. No one is as bad as Papa,” Ryan giggled.

“That man is so sassy,” Devin commented. Riker and Ryan both hummed in agreement.

“Which is why I am happy I have never worked with him directly,” Lydia chirped. “Why are you here, though?”

“Daniel asked me in for some of the piano stuff,” Riker told her. “And beside that, I heard you found some new talent for this movie.”

“Yes! This is Grayson. He stumbled wonderfully into my life,” Lydia hummed as she pulled Grayson to her side. Grayson smiled nervously and waved slightly. “Grayson, you can now formally meet your co-star’s father.”

“And he’s definitely a daddy’s-boy,” Devin snorted. Ryan made a face at Devin.

“So are you. You’ve gotta go to your dad to get out of trouble all the time,” Riker said as he looked over at Devin with a raised eyebrow. Devin smiled innocently then before darting off and calling out for Frank. Ryan snorted while Riker shook his head. “Good luck having that one around this set.”

“Not the first time, just the first time he’s working with Rhonda and Frank,” Lydia replied. Riker shrugged then and then reached up to ruffle Ryan’s hair.

“So, how’s it been goin’, baby boy?” Riker asked as he looked down at Ryan.

“Better now that classes are done. Hayds has left me alone with Devin in the apartment for a week, though,” Ryan replied. Riker chuckled and pulled Ryan closer to his side.

“So Hestia’s home alone right now?” Riker asked.

“Yeah. Didn’t want to bring her today. She’s been getting too excitable. She doesn’t like to let Grayson get anything done,” Ryan hummed.

“Ah, so she likes you?” Riker asked as he looked over at Grayson. Grayson simply nodded with a small smile.

“She seems to like everyone, though,” Grayson commented.

“Yeah, but she still picks her favorites,” Ryan said with a smile. “You’re definitely up there. Pretty sure she likes you more than Devin.”

“Wow,” Riker chuckled as Grayson shrugged and blushed while Lydia smiled and rolled her eyes. “So, Grayson, what got you interested in acting?”

“Just to do something new, really,” Grayson replied with another shrug.

“Yeah. He told us that he’s majoring in art and biology,” Ryan said. Riker’s eyebrows shot up and Lydia laughed.

“Doesn’t matter to me. He’s still a good actor,” Lydia added as she pat Grayson’s shoulder. “And he and Ryan and good chemistry, which is needed.”

“I have good chemistry with everyone,” Ryan scoffed.

“Aw, now you’re just lying,” Riker cooed as he pat Ryan’s cheek.

“Acting-wise, Daddy! We don’t talk about that heathen!” Ryan exclaimed defensively. Riker simply smiled and pulled Ryan into a tight hug.

“Calm down. I was referring to Marsie from that last movie you were in,” Riker chuckled. Ryan groaned and slumped his shoulders. Grayson smiled and looked at Ryan with a curious expression.

“This sounds like something I want to hear about,” Grayson said. Ryan groaned again and shook his head. “Yeah, I definitely want to know.”

“To put it simply, he pissed her off once and she chased him through set and nearly broke thousands of dollars of equipment,” Lydia quipped. “She was very self-involved and thought we would fire Ryan over her if something happened. She was wrong.”

“It was fun getting the stories. Especially from Lasey,” Riker chuckled.

“Lasey is a demon and should never be trusted,” Ryan mumbled stubbornly.

“Aw, she’s just doing her job as a big sister,” Riker crooned. Ryan rolled his eyes and looked over at Grayson dramatically.

“Come on. I don’t feel like listening to Daddy tell me how siblings are supposed to act,” Ryan huffed as he walked over and grabbed onto Grayson’s wrist to pull him away. Grayson yelped but then matched his pace to Ryan’s easily.

“Is your sister really that bad?” Grayson asked as they flopped down on a couch. Ryan looked over at Grayson seriously.

“Yes. She still walks around the house naked just to spite me,” Ryan told him. “That and she tries to constantly _fix_ me because she went into psychology.”

“My older siblings just butt into my business,” Grayson commented. Ryan snorted and slouched down, knee bumping into Grayson’s as his legs spread out.

“Lasey does plenty of that too. She wants to know anything that ever happens in my sex life,” Ryan said. “Which is absolutely non-existent.”

“Wait, what?” Grayson asked, eyebrows knit together. Ryan looked up at Grayson with a confused expression.

“What?”

“I thought you and Devin were dating!” Grayson squeaked. Ryan burst out laughing then and slapped Grayson’s knee.

“Good god _no_!” Ryan laughed.

“Then why does he go everywhere with you?” Grayson asked.

“He doesn’t. The only reason he is here on set everyday is because he’s working with Rhonda and Frank on film stuff. Otherwise he’d totally be back at our apartment playing videogames and begging Lasey to take time off to visit,” Ryan replied. “Because, y’know, he and Lasey are dating. It’s just not public _public_ knowledge,”

“Oh,” Grayson breathed as he picked at his nails.

“Don’t worry about it, dude. You’re not the first person to think Dev and I are a thing,” Ryan assured as he pat Grayson’s shoulder. “We’ve just known each other since we were toddlers. We don’t have many boundaries anymore. Especially after I’ve heard him having sex with my sister on multiple occasions.”

“That’s slightly disturbing,” Grayson gagged. Ryan simply hummed in agreement.

“Any of your siblings gross you out?” Ryan asked as he looked up at Grayson.

“Only with things they’ve told me,” Grayson replied. “I’ve never heard any of them having sex.”

“Better hope it stays that way,” Ryan laughed. “I’m just happy that I definitely won’t be living with Daddy and Papa at all by the time Avalon and Kyler reach the sexual stage.”

“How old are they now?” Grayson asked.

“Three,” Ryan replied. Grayson looked down at Ryan with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. Ryan chuckled and nodded. “I know. Daddy and Papa are insane, but they handle the two beans well. That and having more kids helped a lot.”

“Yeah?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah. When they decided to have another kid it was right after my great uncle Jason died. Dad was in a pretty bad place and kids are like his happy drug or something,” Ryan said. “They just weren’t expecting twins. The beanies are good kids, though.”

“Is there a reason you call them _beans_?” Grayson asked with a chuckle. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“All Shay’s fault. She was their carrier and she started calling them _the little beanies_ at her first sonogram appointment and the nickname stuck. Especially because Luca was there at the time,” Ryan told Grayson. Grayson hummed in understanding.

“The people you know seem interesting,” Grayson commented. Ryan barked out a laugh and then nodded in agreement.

“We’re all basically one huge family. I mean, Luca is basically my nephew since Dad adopted Jude way back when,” Ryan added. “But even without that, we’re all together most of the time. Our family is pretty close.”

“Seems it,” Grayson hummed.

“Mhm,” Ryan agreed. “What about your family?”

“Well, for one, my family doesn’t consist of multiple famous people,” Grayson snorted. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved Grayson lightly. “But other than that, we’re a pretty normal family. I mean, obviously we’re weird in our own ways, but we’re just normal.”

“I’d take that over some of my extended family. Aunt Lily and Aunt Kamryn are so ridiculous and embarrassing sometimes. At least Aunt Selena keeps it to the privacy of our own homes,” Ryan said.

“I think that comes with the fame portion,” Grayson laughed.

“Nah. Daddy and Papa said Aunt Lily and Aunt Kamryn have always been bad. They said Aunt Lily used to break into their dorm on purpose in high school,” Ryan said. “Granted, I had a few friends that also did that, but they knew I wouldn’t be having sex with my roommate.”

“Your aunt used to walk in on your dads on purpose?” Grayson asked in shock.

“Yeah. My biological aunt as well. My family takes weird to a different level,” Ryan breathed.

“I can tell,” Grayson laughed.

“Mhm. But on the plus side we’re all really close. A lot of us would go to the ends of the earth to protect the others. When my ex was being an ass and we broke up Luca asked if I wanted him to beat up my ex. He was only nine at the time,” Ryan sighed happily. Grayson barked out a laugh and pushed a hand through his hair.

“That’s adorable,” Grayson added. Ryan hummed in agreement and stretched out his legs in front of him.

“My younger half-sister also offered. That was a much more valid threat though. Caron is basically a demon from hell,” Ryan laughed.

“God, how many siblings do you have?” Grayson asked.

“Uuuh, five. Lasey and the twins are my full siblings, genetics aside. Jude’s the oldest and Daddy adopted her after college to help out Addie2. And then there’s Caron. She’s my bio mom’s daughter,” Ryan replied. “What about you?”

“I’ve got three older siblings,” Grayson said. “They’re not bad, they just like to try and embarrass me whenever they’re around.”

“Sounds like Lasey,” Ryan chuckled. “Jude’s better at it, though. But she mostly does it to Lasey because Lasey gets defensive way easier. She got the dramatics from Papa, hands down.”

“That must be fun,” Grayson said skeptically. Ryan smirked and stretched his arms above his head.

“It’s fun to be in the sidelines,” Ryan chirped. “Not so much when she is chasing after you with an umbrella because you hid all of her bras.”

“That honestly sounds like something my sister would do to my brothers,” Grayson laughed. “For some reason they live to annoy the shit out of her.”

“Because it’s fun!” Ryan exclaimed. “Annoying the older sibling is in the job description as the younger sibling.”

“And you are very good at your job,” Riker chuckled as he walked up to them. Ryan smiled widely and scrunched up his nose. Riker chuckled and nudged Ryan’s foot with his own.

“I’ve gotta get back at her somehow for all the times I have to hear her and Devin going at it,” Ryan commented with a shrug.

“Maybe she does it to get back at you for all the times she walked in on you in high school,” Riker replied with a knowing smirk. Ryan scoffed a waved a hand in Riker’s direction while Grayson’s eyebrows shot up.

“None of you actually caught us having penetrative sex,” Ryan countered. “However, I have witnessed that between Lasey and Devin and it is terrifying and disgusting.”

“And this is why Lasey does not live at home anymore,” Riker said with a small shudder.

“Uh huh. Unfortunately I live with Devin so I don’t get to avoid it,” Ryan grumbled. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes as he leaned down to kiss Ryan’s forehead.

“You’ll survive and I know you’ll get them back somehow. But, I have to head out and pick the twins up from Jude’s house. I’ll see you next time you come home,” Riker said.

“Mhm. Drive safe, Daddy. Love you,” Ryan replied as he got up to kiss Riker’s cheek.

“Love you too, baby boy. Keep yourself sane,” Riker said as he walked away and waved over his shoulder.

“Have you seriously walked in on your sister having sex?” Grayson asked in disgust as Ryan flopped back down onto the couch.

“Oh, god yeah. Multiple times,” Ryan replied with a wave of his hand. “I mean, she caught me and my ex multiple times with our hands down each other’s pants in high school, but it’s a bit different.”

“That’s because you guys literally grabbed at each other’s dicks anytime you got a chance,” Devin scoffed as he walked up to them. Ryan quirked one eyebrow at Devin.

“Hark who’s talking. How many times did I walk in on you with your hand down a girl’s pants in our high school dorm?” Ryan retorted.

“Point,” Devin said with a shrug. “Lasey always got you guys at home. Granted, sometimes y’all didn’t close the door...”

“There were more important things at hand…” Ryan grumbled.

“Ha! At hand!” Devin barked. Ryan huffed and reached out to punch Devin in the side.

“I don’t even know what to make with this conversation…” Grayson breathed out. Ryan and Devin both stopped hitting each other to look at Grayson.

“God, sometimes I forget that we need to not be so open in public,” Devin laughed.

“Says the one who has fucked in an elevator!” Ryan cackled as he jumped up and darted away from Devin as Devin yelped angrily and tore off after Ryan. Grayson simply shook his head as he watched them, a small smile on his face.

“Ryan! Devin! Stop it right now! And, Ry, I need you and Grayson!” Lydia suddenly yelled.

“Ruining our fun!” Devin replied even as Ryan ran up to Grayson and pulled Grayson towards Lydia while giggling.

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson told Ryan, who giggled even harder.

“Don’t I know it,” Ryan replied easily as he smiled widely back at Grayson, who softened and smiled back.

000000

“So, when do I get to meet this mystery co-star of yours?” Hayden asked a few weeks later while she and Ryan were out running.

“Uh, he’s supposed to be coming over later, actually,” Ryan replied.

“What?” Hayden squawked with wide eyes as she stopped running and pulled Ryan to a stop next to her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you’ve been busy…?” Ryan tried with a small smile.

“Oh my god, you _like_ him, don’t you?” Hayden asked with a devious smile. “You like him and don’t want me to embarrass you!”

“Shut up!” Ryan complained loudly. “I barely know him!”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t like him,” Hayden countered with a small huff. “But that just means I need to pass judgment on him. You’re not ending up with another Eric.”

“I don’t intend to,” Ryan grumbled. “But he’s really nice and he just has a really calming presence. I don’t know.”

“God, you’re adorable,” Hayden giggled as they walked down the sidewalk rather than running. “Is he even still gonna be around after the movie though?”

“You’re making it sound like we’re gonna date, but yes. He goes to Swat as well,” Ryan told her.

“Oo, _goodie_ ,” Hayden said as she wrapped her arms around one of Ryan’s. Ryan rolled his eyes and nudged her lightly in the side with his elbow. “How does Devin like him?”

“They get along. Devin is Devin, though,” Ryan replied. “He actually thought Dev and I were dating for the first week.”

“I don’t blame him. When I first met you guys I thought that as well,” Hayden snorted. “You guys just have that close dynamic.”

“Does that mean people think I’m dating you now?” Ryan asked through a laugh. Hayden smiled and rolled her eyes.

“Hell no. Everyone knows you’re gay,” Hayden replied. “That and most people know I’m with Lowell.”

“Both valid points,” Ryan chuckled as they approached their building. Hayden hummed in agreement as Ryan opened the door for her. “When’s the next time Lowell is gonna be here, by the way?”

“Uh, his flight gets in at two, so probably between three and four,” Hayden said as she pressed the elevator button.

“Ugh. I don’t wanna hear you tonight,” Ryan told her. Hayden stuck her tongue out at Ryan and then shoved him into the elevator once the doors opened.

“Better me than Lasey and Devin,” she retorted.

“Valid,” Ryan sighed as he shook his head. “Anything is better than my sister and one of my best friends.”

“Mhm,” Hayden hummed as they got off the elevator. “Dev! Clean your room or make sure the door is shut later! Lowell gets back tonight and apparently your new set friend is coming over.”

“What? Since when is Muscles coming over?” Devin yelped as he came sliding down the hallway with Hestia panting happily at his feet.

“Muscles…?” Hayden asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Nickname. Dude has some _ridiculous_ muscles,” Devin replied.

“Ah. No wonder Ryan likes him,” Hayden hummed. Devin looked over at Ryan then with an excited expression.

“Put that expression away. I don’t like him,” Ryan grumbled.

“What? No! Because he totally likes you!” Devin squawked. Hayden squeaked happily at that and looked over at Ryan excitedly.

“What? No he doesn’t!” Ryan exclaimed with a panicked expression. “We barely know each other.”

“Dude, sometimes he [looks at you](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/119152623629) like he doesn’t know where you came from,” Devin said as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Hayden giggled and danced in place at that and then skipped over to poke Ryan’s arm. Ryan swat at her in annoyance before he shoved her away.

“This is so _cute_!” Hayden squeaked. “I can’t wait to gush to Lowell about it!”

“I can’t wait to see Lowell’s ass in his baseball pants again,” Ryan immediately jibed.

“Even though I know you’re just saying that to be annoying, it is a valid thing to look forward to,” Hayden giggled before she skipped down the hallway to go shower. “Now go shower! You gotta be nice and clean when your boo gets here!”

“Not my boo!” Ryan screamed.

“Soon enough, dude! Even Hestia loves him!” Devin called out.

“ _Aw_!” Hayden squealed.

“God, I hate you both!” Ryan yelled before he slammed his bedroom door shut. Hestia whined at it a few seconds later and Ryan sighed before letting her in. Hestia bound in and licked at Ryan’s legs before trotting into the bathroom to lay on the bath mat, which was her usual spot to take up when Ryan showered. Ryan smiled and ruffled her ears as he walked by to turn on the shower.

“You’re the only one I love in this apartment, Hesty. Devin and Hayden are annoying meanies,” Ryan told her. Hestia simply looked up at Ryan and wagged her tail once as she settled her chin on her front paws. Ryan simply smiled again before he climbed into the shower.

Once he was done, Ryan walked out into his bedroom as he dried his hair to grab a pair of boxers. Hestia followed him and licked some of the water off of his legs before she jumped up onto the bed and pulled at the blankets to make herself a nest.

“See, Daddy and Papa don’t believe me that you nest,” Ryan chuckled as he grabbed his phone to take a picture. “They always blame _me_ for not making my bed, but it’s really _you_ who messes the blankets up!”

“Stop talking to your dog and come talk to real people!” Devin called out.

“Shut up, Devin!” Ryan replied easily as he threw his door open to stick his head out into the hallway. Then his eyes widened as he noticed Grayson standing next to Devin with a smirk as he tried not to laugh.

“You really should work on talking to actual people more than your dog,” Grayson added. Ryan made a face at Grayson, but then nearly lost his balance as Hestia bolted out of his room to tackle Grayson.

“Hestia, dear god,” Ryan grumbled as he caught himself on the wall opposite his bedroom door. Devin cackled and walked over to clap Ryan’s shoulder.

“Once again, your lack of grace when you’re doing anything other than dancing astounds me,” Devin added.

“Shut up, dick weed,” Ryan hissed out as he punched Devin’s shoulder. Devin chuckled and then shoved Ryan back into his room.

“Go get dressed, dude. We don’t need to see you in your briefs,” Devin said. Ryan punched Devin again before he ducked back into his room to pull on a pair of sweats and an old tank top.

“Hayds still showering?” Ryan asked as he walked into the living room to see Hestia sprawled out across Grayson’s lap on the couch. “Hestia has no shame.”

“Yes, and no she does not,” Devin answered. “But it’s also your fault because she’s your dog.”

“Aw, but she’s just so cute!” Ryan cooed as he walked over to take Hestia’s muzzle into his hands and kiss it. Hestia’s tail thumped against the couch and she wiggled around in order to lick Ryan’s face. Ryan yelped and then fell onto the couch next to Grayson. Hestia released a small, happy huff and reached over to sprawl across Ryan’s lap as well. Grayson chuckled and pat her hip.

“She’s lucky she’s a smaller breed, or else she wouldn’t be able to get away with this,” Grayson commented.

“Mhm. I don’t think it would stop her if she got bigger though,” Ryan replied as he slumped down slightly and shifted Hestia in his lap. “She just really likes to cuddle.”

“Your fault!” Devin called out from his room.

“And my need to cuddle is my dads’ fault!” Ryan replied.

“True!” Devin agreed. Ryan chuckled and rolled his eyes as he leaned slightly towards Grayson.

“Your family is cuddle oriented?” Grayson asked. Ryan looked up at Grayson with a small smile.

“Oh, extremely. My dads have known each other since they were three and I think they’ve cuddled every day since they’ve met. They told me that they rarely needed two beds in high school because Papa usually crawled into bed with Daddy,” Ryan said. “Mind you, three of those years of high school they were not dating.”

“Damn,” Grayson breathed. Ryan simply hummed in agreement as he allowed Hestia to lick his fingers. “What’s your shirt, by the way?”

“Hm?” Ryan asked as he looked down. “Oh, an old competition shirt from high school. Our singing and dancing group always got shirts when we went to a competition. I have some of my dads’ as well.”

“You went to the same high school as your parents?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah. A lot of people in my family went there. All of my bio aunts and uncles did, as did a bunch of my non-bio aunts and uncles,” Ryan chuckled. “I grew up visiting there. My uncle Darren went there and my dads also knew a bunch of the staff.”

“So, the staff knew you from a young age and you still went there?” Grayson asked skeptically.

“Yeah, maybe not my best choice. It’s not like I broke any of the rules my dads didn’t,” Ryan commented with a shrug.

“True,” Devin agreed as he walked into the living room and gave Ryan a high-five. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he went back to petting Hestia’s ears. “But, to be fair, it can be kinda easy to get away with things at a boarding school.”

“Depending on the RA you have, yeah,” Ryan agreed.

“Must’ve been very interesting,” Grayson snorted as he thread his fingers through the fur on Hestia’s thigh.

“To say the least,” Ryan and Devin laughed in unison.

“It got the drunken partying out of our system, though,” Devin said.

“Thank god for that,” Hayden laughed as she walked into the living room while drying her hair roughly with a towel. “If you guys were out getting drunk all the time I don’t know what I would do with you. I already mother you enough.”

“Nah, just me. We both leave Devin for dead,” Ryan laughed.

“Point,” Hayden giggled as she looked over at them. Her eyes immediately fell on Grayson and she smiled widely as she glanced at Ryan sitting next to Grayson. “Grayson! You’re _Muscles_?”

“God, Devin, you’re the absolute _worst_ ,” Grayson hissed as he grabbed a throw pillow to chuck at Devin, who cackled and dodged out of the way. “However, your crazy roommate stories make so much more sense now.”

“I told you I wasn’t exaggerating!” Hayden squawked as she threw her hands into the air.

“Wait, you know each other?” Devin asked, eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

“I mean, it makes sense. They both are double majoring in biology and art,” Ryan said with a shrug. “I just didn’t think about it before.”

“Mhm,” Hayden hummed as she sat down on the arm of the armchair. “Which, by the way, Ry, that story from last year? Totally Grayson.”

“Wait what? What story?” Grayson asked in a panic with wide eyes while Ryan beamed with excited eyes.

“No!” Ryan squeaked. Hayden simply giggled and nodded as she draped her towel over her lap. Ryan turned to a panicked looking Grayson then and giggled as he poked Grayson’s shoulder. “You’re the duck penis3 guy!”

“Oh my god! Hayden!” Grayson immediately screamed as Hayden cackled manically and nearly fell off the arm of the chair. “Why would you tell people about that?”

“Who wouldn’t tell people about that?” Hayden asked in response. “You just went off about duck penises in class!”

“It was relevant to the material!” Grayson defended stubbornly.

“Aw, ickle bio major defending his knowledge of duck cock,” Devin cooed.

“You’re making it sound like I don’t know about human cock,” Grayson immediately shot back before his eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Ryan burst out laughing at that and rolled off the couch, much to Hestia’s annoyance. Hayden actually fell off the chair then, kicking her feet in the air.

“ _Grayson_!” she crowed as Devin just gaped with wide eyes.

“You know who else knows about the human cock? _Ryan_!” Devin suddenly squawked.

“No, Devin! Don’t take away from Grayson making that comment!” Hayden exclaimed as she pulled herself up slightly to peek over the top of the arm of the chair. “He has never been this free!”

“Because it’s awkward!” Grayson exclaimed as he dropped his arms dramatically to his sides.

“Oh, honey. You better get used to it if you’re spending time with Ryan and Devin,” Hayden giggled.

“Just because they talk about sex freely doesn’t mean I have to!” Grayson countered.

“Aw, we’ll just corrupt you,” Ryan giggled as he knelt up onto his knees to reach up and pat Grayson’s cheek.

“Do I even want to know?” Lowell asked as he walked through the door and dropped his bag onto the floor. Hayden chirped happily and scrambled off of the floor to flit over and kiss Lowell’s cheek.

“Grayson accidentally made a joke about knowing about dick,” Hayden said as she smiled and scrunched up her nose. Lowell nodded and smiled slightly as he looked over at Grayson.

“About time, man,” Lowell laughed. Grayson heaved out a sigh and flopped back against the couch. “See you finally met these tossers, huh?”

“Just because you use British insults doesn’t mean we don’t understand, ya dang Brit,” Devin said as he tossed a pillow at Lowell, who simply laughed and caught the pillow to throw back at Devin.

“Doesn’t mean you aren’t tossers,” Lowell replied easily before he looked over at Grayson. “So, Hayds finally brought you over?”

“Nah, I’m working with Ryan on a movie,” Grayson replied.

“Oo, I am so sorry,” Lowell breathed.

“Hey now!” Ryan exclaimed. “That’s rude! No Hestia cuddles for you!”

“What?” Lowell squawked with wide eyes. “That’s just rude!”

“You’re rude!” Ryan retorted as he held Hestia close to his chest. “You know we are fucking _delightful_ otherwise you wouldn’t basically live here with us!”

“Pretty sure he basically lives here because _I_ live here, hon,” Hayden replied with a smirk as she sat back down on the arm of the chair and shoved Lowell into the chair itself.

“That and Hestia,” Lowell chuckled.

“Hestia is definitely the best part of hanging around these weirdos,” Grayson chuckled as he held out a hand to Hestia, who wiggled happily and climbed back up onto Grayson’s lap.

“You’re rude,” Ryan commented as he looked at Grayson with narrowed eyes. Grayson smiled innocently in response and Ryan rolled his eyes as he shoved Grayson’s knee. Grayson simply chuckled and nudged Ryan’s shoulder with his knee. “Anyway, how was England, Lowell?”

“Rainy and dreary the entire time,” Lowell sighed as he leaned into Hayden’s touch as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Isn’t that always, though?” Devin asked as he slid onto the couch and curled his knees up to his chest. Lowell shrugged and leaned against Hayden’s knees. Then, Ryan’s phone started trilling out Nobody’s Perfect by Hannah Montana4. Ryan immediately groaned while Devin perked up and Hayden looked over with interest.

“What?” Ryan asked in lieu of answering.

“Wow, rude, Ry,” Lasey scoffed.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, you heathen,” Ryan retorted.

“How do you know I rolled my eyes at you, butt wipe?” Lasey asked in response.

“Because I know you better, fart face,” Ryan chirped easily. Lasey hummed and then giggled.

“So, are you free within the next three weekends?” Lasey asked.

“Uh, just me or everyone in my apartment?” Ryan asked. “Because if everyone I will put it on speaker.”

“Um, put it on speaker. This is for Papa and Daddy’s birthdays,” Lasey replied.

“Okey dokey. Hold on,” Ryan said before he pulled his phone away to put his phone on speaker and settled it on the coffee table in front of him. “You’re on speaker now, Lase.”

“Hi, Dev!” Lasey immediately squeaked.

“Hey, Lase,” Devin replied with a smile while Hayden rolled her eyes.

“Nice to know I exist too,” Hayden commented.

“As do I,” Lowell laughed.

“Lowell! You’re back! Wonderful!” Lasey chirped. “It’s like a party over there! Got anyone else hiding?”

“Uh, Grayson’s the only other one here, but you haven’t met him. So don’t be inappropriate,” Ryan commented.

“Grayson’s the one who made a comment about dick earlier!” Devin laughed.

“It was instinct to retort back, okay?” Grayson defended. “I have older siblings!”

“You’re just upset because you hadn’t done it before in front of us. All of us know full well the banter that goes on between siblings,” Hayden said airily. Grayson simply grumbled and slumped down on the couch despite the fact that Hestia was still in his lap.

“Wait, who’s Grayson?” Lasey asked.

“My co-star in the movie this summer,” Ryan told her. “I told you this.”

“ _Oh_!” Lasey suddenly squeaked happily. “Oh, oh, oh! We shall be talking privately later, baby brother!”

“God, you’re obnoxious,” Ryan breathed. “ _Anyway_ , back to the earlier subject…”

“Oh yeah! Are all of you guys free within the next few weekends?” Lasey asked. “Jude and I are trying to plan some kind of joint thing for Daddy and Papa’s birthdays.”

“Uh, Ry and I have set next weekend, but not for three weekends after that,” Devin said.

“I’m good all weekends. All of Lowell’s baseball games are on weekdays right now,” Hayden added.

“Hesty also has a vet appointment the weekend after next,” Ryan commented.

“Ryan!” Luca’s voice suddenly squawked. Ryan chuckled and then spluttered as Hestia tried to worm her way towards the phone at the sound of Luca’s voice.

“Hi, Pup,” Ryan spluttered as he wrangled Hestia into his arms as she wiggled happily. “Hesty, you can’t get to Luca. He’s on the phone, not here.”

“Hi, Hestia!” Luca bugled. Hestia barked in response and then licked furiously at Ryan’s face.

“Hestia! Calm down!” Ryan squawked as the others laughed. Grayson laughed and then easily pulled Hestia back into his lap and began to pet her ears. Hestia settled down then and groaned happily. “Thanks, Grayson.”

“Damn, is this guy magic or something that he got Hestia to calm down?” Lasey asked skeptically.

“Nah. She just really loves him,” Ryan replied.

“Yeah. She likes Grayson more than me,” Devin grumbled.

“Because you’re not as good at finding her sweet spots,” Grayson said smugly as he rubbed beneath Hestia’s chin. Hayden and Lowell both rolled their eyes.

“Anyway, Lase. What’s the basic plan right now?” Hayden asked.

“As of right now going to the beach house for the weekend. You guys would just meet us there for a day,” Lasey said.

“Or for the weekend depending on how much you all are willing to drive in one day,” Jude’s voice piped up.

“How many people are you inviting? The beach house is smaller than the lake house,” Ryan said.

“Mostly just us. We’re not inviting any of their high school clan. Curt and Alyssa are both busy. Darren and Dalt might just come out for the day with Brant since Brant has camps going on right now,” Jude replied.

“Oh, okay. That’s not bad,” Devin commented. “I’m good as long as Caron isn’t there. I don’t feel like running away from her as she brandishes aflame lighters in my direction again.”

“What?” Grayson asked with wide eyes while Ryan and Lasey both laughed hysterically.

“Caron is a spit-fire,” Hayden said. “The first time I met her she literally dragged all of Lasey’s clothes out into the living room of their family’s lake house.”

“God, she’s such a pain,” Lasey heaved out as Luca giggled manically in the background.

“I’m not sure I ever want to meet your younger half-sister then,” Grayson said as he looked down at Ryan, who waved a hand.

“I aint gonna force her on you,” Ryan replied. “Anyway, you guys figure out exactly when and we’ll work out how long we’ll stay.”

“Okay,” Lasey said.

“Miss you!” Luca squeaked in the background.

“Aw, miss you too, Pup!” Ryan replied. “Try and convince Daddy to bring you to set if he ever has to come back.”

“Okay!” Luca chirped.

“Either that or I will bring him by at some point. I’ll talk to Lydia,” Jude said softly. “I don’t think Daddy is intending to have to go back.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. You know we have the extra room here so if Lu wants to spend a weekend here he can. We know both he and Hesty would love it,” Ryan said.

“Aw, my baby bro and my nephew spending quality time together,” Lasey cooed.

“God, you’re an actual demon from hell, Lasey Mariana,” Riker told her. Lasey cackled then while Jude sighed.

“I’m gonna let you guys get back to whatever you were doing. Devin, I think Lasey is gonna call you, so you might wanna retreat,” Jude said.

“Oo! Thanks for the tip! Bye!” Devin yipped before he darted off to his room and slammed the door.

“Ugh, gross,” Hayden groaned.

“Hey, shut up,” Lasey hissed out. “I’m gonna leave you losers to whatever now. And I’m gonna call you later for details, loser dude.”

“You’re the fuckin’ loser,” Ryan retorted before he hung up quickly.

“You’re so nice to your sister,” Lowell chuckled as Ryan tossed his phone onto Devin’s vacated spot on the couch. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he reached back to pull lightly at Hestia’s tail.

“It’s how we let each other know that we care,” Ryan added with an innocent smile. Hayden snorted with laughter while Grayson shook his head.

“I dunno, man. My siblings and I just tell each other that we love them,” Grayson added with a shrug.

“Well, la-di-da, aren’t you guys so _fancy_?” Ryan asked with an exaggerated eye roll.

“Yeah. I mean, we totally drink with our pinkies out and every dish is placed on top of lace doilies…” Grayson breathed out with a small shrug.

“Oh ho, _oui oui_ , so fancy,” Ryan mocked with a small shake of his head. Grayson simply laughed and pinched Ryan’s ear. Ryan squawked indignantly and reached over to shove Grayson’s knees as Grayson continued to laugh. “You’re a dick.”

“Takes one to know one, babe,” Hayden sighed as she got up and pulled Lowell with her. Ryan smiled innocently over at her and stuck his tongue out slightly. Hayden smiled and rolled her eyes. “You guys do whatever. We’re going to my room to nap.”

“Oof, that is the sexiest thing you could have said,” Lowell groaned happily as his shoulders sagged. Hayden giggled and smacked a kiss to Lowell’s cheek before they headed towards her room.

“Don’t destroy the living room!” she added as she wiggled her finger over her shoulder.

“It’s my apartment, I will do what I want!” Ryan replied. Grayson looked down at Ryan questioningly and Ryan smiled slightly. “I own this place. I’m just nice enough to let Devin and Hayden live here with me rent free. I obviously don’t need the money.”

“Apparently if you bought an entire apartment,” Grayson scoffed. Ryan hummed and pushed himself up onto his knees.

“It happens when you’ve been in the acting business since you were sixteen,” Ryan added with a shrug. “Wanna go watch a movie?”

“Sure. Where at?” Grayson asked.

“My room, silly!” Ryan chirped as he began to shuffle across the floor on his knees. “C’mon, Hesty! Room!”

Hestia immediately leapt off of the couch and trotted towards Ryan’s room, tail in the air happily. Ryan giggled and followed after her, still on his knees. Grayson barked out a laugh and got up to follow Ryan.

“You know you could move faster if you stood up, right?” Grayson asked. Ryan rolled his eyes and swat at Grayson’s legs.

“Where would be the fun in that?” Ryan asked as he shuffled into his room just in time to see Hestia dig at his blankets once more before lying down. Ryan pat her head lightly as he passed her to go over to his movie shelf, not noticing that Grayson had stopped in his doorway. “What kind of movie do you wanna watch?”

“Hm?” Grayson asked in response, looking around the room.

“Dude, Earth to Grayson!” Ryan exclaimed. Grayson shook his head then and blinked down at Ryan. “What was that about?”

“Sorry. It’s just kinda weird to walk into a room covered in personal pictures of people you grew up watching on television,” Grayson commented. Ryan hummed then and settled down in front of his movies.

“Makes sense. I mean, of course I’ve seen all of them in their shows and movies, but to me they’re just my crazy aunts and uncles,” Ryan breathed. “I don’t really think about the impression people will get when they see all of the pictures. Granted, you’re the first one in a long time who has seen all this. Last one was Lowell and he didn’t really care.”

“You don’t bring many people here?” Grayson asked. Ryan pursed his lips and shook his head.

“I don’t want to risk it. My ex already knows I live in this building. I don’t need him to know exactly which apartment,” Ryan replied. “Most friends I have on campus are ones I hang with in the theater and such anyway. No need for them to come to my apartment.”

“Understandable,” Grayson said with a small shrug.

“So, what kind of movie do you wanna watch?” Ryan chirped as he bounced slightly and smiled.

“You have Disney movies?” Grayson asked. Ryan smiled widely then and nodded enthusiastically. Grayson chuckled and sat down at the end of Ryan’s bed next to where Hestia had settled. “Do you have Princess and the Frog?”

“Oh man, a man after my own heart!” Ryan gasped as he eagerly grabbed the movie and shuffled excitedly over to his DVD player to slip the movie in, taking no notice to the slight blush that took over Grayson’s cheeks. “This has always been my favorite princess movie. I wore a Tiana shirt the first time I went to Disney. I remember when I met Tiana and I just froze, which was ridiculous.”

“Why?” Grayson asked in confusion. Ryan hummed and grabbed the remote before climbing onto the bed.

“Because I knew that they were just people dressed up. My uncle Danny was Flynn Rider back then,” Ryan replied as he curled up by his pillows and wrapped himself in a blanket. “Lase and I didn’t ruin it for other kids, though. We just knew. I still was in awe though. Tiana was always what I achieved to be when I was a youngin.”

“How cute,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan just smiled and then tugged Grayson up the bed to sit next to him.

“Shut up,” Ryan added as he acked Grayson in the face with a corner of his blanket. Grayson yelped indignantly and then quickly grabbed at the blanket to pull it away from Ryan. Ryan cried out unhappily and tugged back while Hestia glanced back at them with unblinking eyes. “It’s my blanket, Grayson! Get your own!”

“I’m in your house!” Grayson retorted.

“There are blankets all over this god damn bed!” Ryan squawked as he curled up around his blanket. Grayson just cackled and retaliated by draping himself over Ryan’s body. Ryan squealed and wiggled beneath Grayson’s weight in attempt to free himself. Grayson simply continued to laugh and wrapped his arms around Ryan, who squealed again. “Stooop! I just wanna watch my queen!”

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson laughed as he ruffled Ryan’s hair and then shoved him away slightly. Ryan simply huffed out a miffed breath and settled against Grayson’s legs.

“You get to deal with this now because I’m stubborn,” Ryan grumbled as he hit the play button.

“I mean, I was already informed that you’re a cuddler…” Grayson said with a shrug. Ryan looked back at Grayson with a scrunched nose and stuck his tongue out at Grayson, who chuckled and flicked Ryan’s nose.

“Jerk,” Ryan snarked.

“Yep!” Grayson giggled before he shifted around to cuddle up to Ryan, who then giggled also and settled against Grayson. “I can always make up for it with cuddles, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ryan sighed happily. Grayson hummed in response as they both sank together and turned their attention towards the movie while Hestia stretched and then went back to sleep in front of them.

000000

Ryan awoke a few hours later to the sound of Lasey’s ringtone blaring out again. He groaned quietly and burrowed into his blanket even more. Hestia released her own small groan and shifted against Ryan’s front. Ryan kissed the top of her head and then grabbed the remote to turn off the endless loop that was the Princess and the Frog menu screen.

“All right, Hesty baby, I’m gonna need you to move,” Ryan whispered. Hestia released a small whine and shoved her nose into Ryan’s neck, which made him chuckle. “C’mon. I gotta answer Lase’s call. I’ll bring you outside if you want.”

Hestia immediately perked up at the mention of _outside_ and gently leapt off the bed. Ryan smiled at her and then carefully pulled himself away from Grayson, who had been half draped over Ryan. Hestia looked back at Ryan eagerly, tail wagging in anticipation. Ryan urged her forward quietly as he padded out of his room and then shut his door most of the way behind him.

Ryan walked out into the living room to see Devin sitting on the couch and watching TV. Devin wordlessly held Ryan’s phone out over his shoulder as he took a swig of his soda. Ryan smiled and kissed the top of Devin’s head as he grabbed his phone from Devin’s hand. Hestia passed by Devin as well and licked his knee affectionately before she trotted up to the front door. She stared back at Ryan then, tail wagging slowly as she smiled in her own way.

“You’re gonna take her out?” Devin asked. “It’s close to eleven.”

“I know, but we didn’t get her out earlier,” Ryan replied. “And you totally could have come into my room and shut off the TV. Who knows how long that stupid menu looped for.”

“I was gonna, but I didn’t wanna wake you guys,” Devin said with a shrug. “You just looked so comfy and cute.”

“God, you’re a douche,” Ryan huffed as he flipped Devin off and grabbed Hestia’s leash before he walked out of the door. Hestia huffed happily and darted down the hallway to the stairs. Ryan smiled and leaned down to pat her back before they headed down the stairs.

“Evenin’, Ryan,” Barney said with a wave.

“Hey, Barney,” Ryan replied with a smile as he led Hestia out the back of the building. Once they were outside, Ryan picked up one of the ever present tennis balls and tossed it for Hestia. She released a happy yip and took off after the ball while Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Lasey back.

“Why didn’t you answer before?” Lasey immediately asked. “You’re usually wide awake and watching dumb shit with Devin at this time.”

“I fell asleep watching Princess and the Frog with Grayson earlier,” Ryan replied as he accepted the retrieved ball from Hestia to throw it for her again.

“God, you barely know the guy and you already made him watch that damn movie with you?” Lasey scoffed.

“Don’t hate on my favorite movie, asshole. And no, he actually chose it,” Ryan retorted. Lasey made an interested sound at that piece of information and Ryan could almost hear her gearing up to bombard him with questions.

“So, how long have you liked him?” Lasey shot out. Ryan groaned and flopped down onto the stairs.

“I don’t even know if I do,” Ryan replied. Lasey scoffed.

“Don’t try and fool yourself, baby bro,” she added. “You’ve already waxed poetic at me about his abs multiple times.”

“They’re worth the bad poetry,” Ryan said easily. Lasey barked out a laugh but then tutted.

“Still. Devin’s told me about stuff too. He gets the sideline stuff,” Lasey hummed. “And may I just say, _nice job_. Even with clothes on that guy is _fine_.”

“What? How do you know what he looks like?” Ryan yelped in surprise. Lasey cackled out a laugh and Ryan knew she would have pat his cheek if she were there.

“Dev took a picture of you guys on the couch earlier and sent it to me,” Lasey replied. “He is an extremely handsome dude, little brother.”

“I know that, Lasey,” Ryan grumbled as he threw the ball for Hestia again once she dropped the ball at his feet. “That doesn’t mean I like him.”

“You’re just in denial. Even Daddy said he was quite pleasant the day he was there,” Lasey hummed. “And we all know how Daddy felt about Eric when we all first met him. Daddy’s got good instincts.”

“God, shut up,” Ryan hissed at her. Lasey simply giggled and then clicked her tongue.

“Tell me about him. You’ve only told me that he’s got nice muscles and facial hair,” Lasey said softly. Ryan huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes as he accepted the ball from Hestia again.

“I dunno. He’s really nice and soft spoken. Doesn’t like to make sex jokes and totally questioned my decision to go to a high school where all the teachers knew me before I went there. He totally accepted that I’m a cuddler and we cuddled while watching a movie. Hestia loves him and he loves her right back, but I mean, she is the cutest little pup ever,” Ryan said, cooing in Hestia’s direction at the end as she plodded back up to him happily. Ryan smiled and kissed her muzzle before she spit the ball into his lap in order to lick his chin.

“Dear god, little brother. You’re gonna be a goner, huh?” Lasey asked. “I mean, he already tolerates Devin on a regular basis and he obviously is willing to cuddle. You still gotta get him passed me and Hayden, though.”

“Hayden already knows him, apparently. They’re both art and bio majors at Swat,” Ryan replied. Lasey squeaked happily then and Ryan heard her shuffling things about in her excitement.

“I’m so going to gossip with her!” Lasey exclaimed. Ryan groaned then and flopped back against the stairs carefully. “And also with Devin, though I was doing that with him earlier. He says that this guy likes you.”

“God, you’re all the worst, I swear,” Ryan grumbled as he scratched at Hestia’s ears. Lasey hummed primly.

“We know,” she added. “But that doesn’t mean we’re wrong. I mean, I can’t fully say yet as I haven’t met him or seen the two of you together, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. Plus, I want updates. You haven’t gotten into anything since Eric.”

“And you know exactly why, you budding therapist,” Ryan told her.

“I know that, but that also means I want you to find something good. You deserve to be happy, Ryan,” Lasey said softly. “I watched you get bullied in middle school and then almost immediately get into what turned out to be an abusive relationship in high school5. You can’t blame me for wanting something good for you.”

“I do have something good. It’s called Hestia,” Ryan countered.

“Oh my god, you’re a giant pain in my ass. You know what I mean!” Lasey hissed. “You need someone to fall back on that isn’t a family member or a best friend. Don’t let your reservations dictate you and make you miss out on something that could be really good, Ry.”

“God, you’re obnoxious,” Ryan breathed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I loooove you,” Lasey sang through a giggle.

“Yeah, I love you too,” Ryan assured as he watched Hestia trot around the back area in order to find a place to pee.

“And you’ll keep me updated because you love me…?” Lasey asked hopefully.

“More like because if I don’t you’ll bug me until I do,” Ryan replied as he finally stood up and pat his thigh to call Hestia back over.

“Right you are, little brother,” Lasey giggled. “I’m gonna call it a night though. I’m watching the beanies tomorrow while Daddy and Papa are at the dance studio.”

“Mkay. Love you, tit face,” Ryan told her.

“Love you too, dick butt,” Lasey chirped easily before she hung up. Ryan snorted and slid his phone back into his pocket before opening the door. Hestia immediately walked in and trotted over to the front desk. Ryan heard Barney chuckle.

“Hello, little lady,” Barney said as he handed Hestia a dog bone. Hestia accepted the treat happily and then licked Barney’s hand in thanks once she finished.

“You spoil the dogs of this building,” Ryan chuckled as he pressed the elevator button.

“They’re just too cute to not spoil,” Barney replied with a smile.

“Gonna give them all big egos, you are,” Ryan said as the elevator doors opened. “C’mon, Hesty!”

Hestia immediately hopped over and into the elevator, tail in the air. Ryan and Barney both smiled and shook their heads.

“Night, Barney,” Ryan said.

“Night, Ryan,” Barney replied with a wave before the elevator doors closed.

“Where were you?” Hayden asked through a yawn as Ryan walked back through the front door with Hestia and then locked it.

“Out back talking to Lasey on the phone,” Ryan replied as he walked over to kiss Hayden’s temple. “Lowell still asleep?”

“Yeah. I just needed some water,” Hayden hummed. “What time did Grayson head home?”

“He didn’t. We fell asleep watching a movie. I need to go see what he wants to do,” Ryan said. Hayden simply hummed and pat Ryan’s chest lightly.

“Good luck, Ry,” she yawned before she padded back towards her room. Hestia looked after Hayden but then looked back at Ryan with her head cocked to one side.

“Yeah, back to the bedroom,” Ryan told her. Hestia wagged her tail once and then shuffled off towards Ryan’s bedroom. She pushed the door open once she got there and immediately jumped back onto the bed lightly. Ryan followed after her and turned on his bedside lamp. He looked over at Grayson then, who was curled up with his face pressed into the blanket Ryan had been curled up in earlier. Ryan smiled slightly and then crawled onto the bed carefully in order to place a hand on Grayson’s shoulder.

“Mmh?” Grayson mumbled without moving. Ryan huffed out a chuckle and shifted to sit down and cross his legs.

“Hey, Grayson. Wake up,” Ryan whispered.

“Nooo,” Grayson grumbled in response as he buried his face further into the blanket. Ryan laughed and then poked Grayson’s cheek.

“Dude, are you gonna drive home or not?” Ryan asked as he flicked Grayson’s ear.

“What? What time is it?” Grayson mumbled as he peeked up at Ryan with messy hair sticking up in all different directions.

“Nearly a quarter to midnight,” Ryan replied. Grayson groaned and buried his face back in the blanket. Ryan laughed and flicked Grayson’s ear again. “I take that as you’re not driving home, then?”

“Ugh, I should,” Grayson commented.

“You don’t have to. I don’t have any issue with you crashing here,” Ryan said as he shifted slightly. “However, you would have to move so we could use the actual blankets and not just the throw blankets I have.”

“So much movement,” Grayson complained. Ryan giggled and then pinched Grayson’s side lightly before he got up. Grayson yelped and sent a glare in Ryan’s direction. Ryan simply smirked and pulled a pair of sweatpants out of his drawer.

“C’mon. Go change into sweats and I’ll get the blankets into an acceptable state around the entitled dog,” Ryan said as he tossed the sweatpants at Grayson. Grayson simply grunted and then rolled off of the bed gracelessly. Ryan snorted and then pointed towards his bathroom. Grayson gave him a small smile and then shuffled into the bathroom to change. Ryan looked down at Hestia then, who looked right back unblinkingly.

“Don’t even. Up for a minute, pooch,” Ryan told her. Hestia heaved out a sigh and then leapt off of the bed. Ryan kissed her muzzle quickly before he shifted the blankets into a better position. He then climbed into bed and pat the space next to him. Hestia jumped up quickly and settled against Ryan’s side with a happy sigh.

Grayson walked out of the bathroom then and immediately walked over to flop back onto the bed face-first. Ryan laughed and smacked Grayson in the middle of the back. Grayson groaned but then wiggled around to get under the blankets.

“Thanks, oh gracious one,” Grayson sighed happily as he curled up beneath the blankets. Ryan giggled and rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know if you’re talking to me or the bed,” Ryan added. Grayson peeked up at Ryan, eyes sparkling slightly with a smile.

“Both,” Grayson whispered before he pulled the blankets higher up his face. Ryan flicked the light off as he snorted and then curled up beneath the blankets as well.

“Loser,” Ryan said quietly as he nudged Grayson’s leg with his foot. Grayson simply hummed in agreement and nudged Ryan back with his own foot. Ryan released a happy sigh then and settled into the mattress as Hestia cuddled up to his side as they all fell asleep.

000000

Ryan giggled and dodged passed people quickly as he weaved through set. He heard Devin trying to follow after him and Ryan cackled as he jumped over some pieces of equipment before making a quick turn to try and lose Devin. Josh smiled and shook his head as Ryan ran by. Ryan simply smiled widely and waved at Josh over his shoulder.

“Ah! Grayson!” Ryan squeaked as he saw Grayson and ran up to him. Grayson looked over at quirked one eyebrow at Ryan. Ryan just laughed and jumped onto Grayson’s back, quickly latching his limbs around Grayson. “Go, go, go!”

“What? Where am I going? What is happening?” Grayson asked.

“Questions later! Hiding now!” Ryan replied as he brandished one hand into the air. Grayson sighed but then obeyed, quickly dodging behind one of the sets as he hooked his hands beneath Ryan’s knees.

“So, why am I leading you to hide?” Grayson asked quietly. Ryan giggled and squished Grayson’s cheeks together.

“I ran up behind Devin and slapped him and messed up the test shot he was taking,” Ryan informed as he shifted slightly on Grayson’s back. Grayson heaved out a sigh and shook his head slightly. Ryan giggled again and then ruffled Grayson’s hair. “You know you find it endearing.”

“Do I, though?” Grayson asked in response.

“Obviously since you’re protecting me,” Ryan cooed in response.

“Maybe I’m just too good of a person,” Grayson sighed. Ryan laughed, but then quickly yelped as he felt hands tug at his sides.

“No!” Ryan squeaked as he clung to Grayson tightly. Grayson jerked back slightly because of the force and grunted before he reached back to wrap his arms around Ryan’s waist as best as he could.

“Release thy hold on Muscles!” Devin exclaimed.

“Never!” Ryan bugled stubbornly.

“This isn’t fair! He barely has any hold on you and he’s still stronger!” Devin complained.

“Ryan is also stronger than you and he’s got a pretty good grip on me,” Grayson laughed as he leaned forward slightly to try and break Devin’s grip.

“No one asked, Muscles McGee,” Devin retorted. Ryan simply released a small grunt and then pulled one arm away from Grayson’s shoulders in order to push at Devin’s face. Devin squawked unhappily and tried to bite at Ryan’s hand while Ryan cackled and shoved Devin away from himself.

“I have won6! Run, Grayson! Run!” Ryan exclaimed as he threw one fist into the air triumphantly.

“Nah,” Grayson replied airily before he dropped his arms from Ryan’s body. Ryan yelped as he nearly fell to the floor before he got his grip back on Grayson.

“No run?” Ryan pouted, jutting out his bottom lip as Grayson peered back at him with one raised eyebrow.

“Nope,” Grayson said again before he pried Ryan’s grip off of himself. Ryan yelped again and then screeched when Grayson easily picked Ryan up.

“What? This isn’t fair! We’re practically the same height!” Ryan protested as he flicked Grayson’s ear. Grayson simply chuckled.

“It’s we why call him _Muscles_ , Ry,” Devin chuckled. Ryan just pouted again and rested his elbows on Grayson’s shoulder.

“Where are we even going?” Ryan asked.

“To Lydia so she can make you calm the hell down,” Grayson replied.

“You’re such a party pooper,” Ryan complained as he roughly rubbed his chin against the top of Grayson’s head.

“And you’re an overgrown child,” Grayson easily retorted.

“An overgrown child with a lot of sexual experience,” Ryan said with a smirk. Grayson simply pinched Ryan’s leg in response. Ryan squawked in protest and pinched Grayson’s neck in retaliation. Grayson grunted and then dropped Ryan back onto his feet. Ryan yelped as he lost his balance and landed on his ass.

“Every day just solidifies my belief that you are unable to be graceful, no matter what Hayden, Lowell, and Devin tell me,” Grayson said as he looked down at Ryan, who stared back up at Grayson stubbornly.

“I’m graceful _as fuck_ when I dance, bro,” Ryan argued with narrowed eyes. Grayson simply quirked an eyebrow skeptically as he crossed his arms over his chest. Ryan grunted stubbornly and then reached around to slap the back of Grayson’s knee. Grayson squeaked as he fell to the ground before he glared over at Ryan who was laughing hysterically.

“Ryan, honestly. You’re twenty,” Jude’s voice suddenly breathed. Ryan turned quickly and threw a bright smile in Jude’s direction.

“Doesn’t mean I gotta act it, Jude,” Ryan replied. Then, he turned his smile to Luca and opened his arms. Luca laughed and immediately ran over to launch himself into Ryan’s lap. “Hey, Pup.”

“Hi, Ryan,” Luca replied as he hugged Ryan tightly.

“Am I really sure that I want to leave my son with you for three days?” Jude asked as she looked down at Ryan seriously. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“It’s not like you haven’t before. Plus, the only reason I just took Grayson to the ground is because he is questioning my grace when I dance,” Ryan said matter-of-factly.

“Because I don’t believe you. The other morning I watched you run into your doorframe…three times,” Grayson commented. Jude burst out laughing and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Yeah, Ryan’s never been the most graceful when walking or running,” Jude hummed. “Dancing _is_ another story though. Definitely inherited Daddy’s abilities.”

“Told you, _loser_ ,” Ryan said as he stuck his tongue out at Grayson and kicked Grayson’s foot.

“I’ll believe it when I see it, _loser_ ,” Grayson retorted as he kicked back before he got up. Jude looked down at Ryan then with a smirk. Ryan groaned and reached out to slap Jude’s leg.

“Go conspire with Devin and Lasey or something, god,” Ryan complained as he nudged Luca in order to get up. Luca immediately crawled out of Ryan’s lap but then latched onto Ryan’s leg once Ryan stood up. Ryan smiled and ruffled Luca’s hair.

“Oh, I will,” Jude said. Then, she turned to beam at Grayson. “Hi! I’m Ryan’s older sister Jude!”

“I’m Grayson,” Grayson replied as he accepted Jude’s outstretched hand.

“And this little monster is Luca,” Ryan said as he hugged Luca to his side. “Lu, you gotta be nice. Grayson spends time at my apartment. We shall not treat him as we do Devin.”

“I know,” Luca said with an exaggerated eye roll. “I’m not stupid. I also don’t treat all of your friends like I do Devin. He’s a special case.”

“Hell yeah!” Devin exclaimed as he ran up and wrapped himself around Luca, who squeaked in surprise and then laughed.

“Hurt my child and I hurt you, no matter how upset with me Lasey would be,” Jude threatened. Devin rolled his eyes at Jude and waved a hand in her direction.

“Chill out. Luca and I have an understanding,” Devin told her. Jude just shook her head and then leaned down to look Luca in the eye.

“You be good for Ryan, Devin, and Hayden the next few days, okay?” she asked.

“Yes, Momma,” Luca replied obediently.

“Good. I love you, Pup. See you Friday night,” Jude chirped.

“Love you too,” Luca replied as Jude kissed his forehead.

“And you let me know when you guys head out on Friday, okay?” Jude asked as she placed a hand on Ryan’s cheek.

“Yes, ma’am!” Ryan replied with a smile. Jude smiled back and kissed Ryan’s cheek before she walked off, waving over her shoulder. Luca giggled and then latched back onto Ryan’s leg happily. Ryan smiled down at Luca and ruffled Luca’s hair again. “What do you wanna do tonight?”

“Chinese and Halloweentown?” Luca asked hopefully. Ryan snorted and nodded.

“Sure, Pup,” Ryan replied. Luca bugled happily, one hand thrust into the air.

“Hey, c’mon. Wanna go see how the cameras work?” Devin asked. Luca’s eyes lit up then and he nodded eagerly as he released his grip on Ryan’s leg to jump onto Devin’s back.

“If you break my equipment, you die!” Rhonda called out as she walked by.

“Promise I won’t!” Luca replied easily.

“Not talking to you, Luca!” Rhonda quipped.

“Rude!” Devin yelled. Ryan simply snorted and shook his head before he met Grayson’s gaze.

“So, that’s your nephew?” Grayson asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. He’s a good kid,” Ryan replied.

“How old was your sister when she had him? She seems young still to have a kid his age,” Grayson commented. Ryan hummed as they walked over to see where Devin had taken Luca to.

“Jude was seventeen when she found out she was pregnant7. Eighteen when Luca was born,” Ryan told Grayson. “Jude’s also got a three year old daughter now, too. Pretty sure Spencer and the twins are gonna be inseparable as they grow up.”

“Well, aren’t they the same age?” Grayson asked as they watched Devin perch Luca on one of the chairs to look through the lens of the camera.

“Yeah. Three days apart. Kyler and Avalon were supposed to be born at the end of October, but instead were born at the very beginning,” Ryan said with a smile. “It was an interesting time, to say the least.”

“Yeah?” Grayson asked as he glanced over at Ryan, who was smiling to himself as he watched Luca laugh and then smack Devin on the back of the head.

“Mhm. Papa was sick at the time. He was so pissed and banned anyone from visiting Shay in the hospital to see the twins other than Daddy, Lasey, and me,” Ryan chuckled as he smiled over at Grayson, who snorted with laughter. “Granted, Papa was also sick when Luca was born. I mean, I was too, but I was eight, not thirty-six.”

“Does he get sick often?” Grayson asked. Ryan shrugged.

“Not as much anymore. But for a while at least once a year since he works in a high school,” Ryan added. “Dad always had to pawn Papa off on people because Papa is absolutely _useless_ when he’s sick.”

“Yeah, he is,” Luca giggled as he skipped back over to Ryan. “I don’t know how Gampa deals with it.”

“He deals with it because he loves Papa very much, just like when Jude took care of you when you had chicken pox and complained every hour of the day,” Ryan shot out.

“Hey! I was four!” Luca exclaimed defensively. Ryan barked out a laugh and then hugged Luca tightly.

“I’m just teasing,” Ryan added. “Now, did you drop your stuff somewhere or did you guys already put it in my car?”

“Your car,” Luca chirped.

“Mkay. Ready to go back to my place, then? I just saw Lydia give me the signal that I’m good to leave,” Ryan said. Luca nodded eagerly and bounced in place. “Yeah, I know. You’re excited to see Hestia. Gotta cash in all those cuddles, yeah?”

“Yeah!” Luca agreed. “You’re not allowed to steal them.”

“I promise I won’t. Can’t promise she won’t leave you to cuddle with Grayson, though,” Ryan chuckled. Luca glared over at Grayson then, whose eyes widened. Ryan laughed and nudged Luca forward before he reached back to tug Grayson forward. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Hesty will pick you over Grayson tonight. She hasn’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah. Plus knowing you you’re gonna become a cuddle whore anyway,” Luca said airily as he walked ahead of Ryan and Grayson.

“Hark who’s talking,” Ryan retorted.

“I don’t know, Ryan. You’re a cuddle leach. He seems pretty spot on,” Grayson said with a shrug. Luca beamed back at Grayson then before he turned his gaze to Ryan.

“I like this one. You should keep him,” Luca chirped before he quickly climbed into Ryan’s car, leaving Ryan and Grayson behind to exchange awkward glances as they both blushed.

000000

“We still going on a run in the morning?” Hayden asked as she walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of popcorn.

“Nah. Luca and I are gonna make breakfast,” Ryan replied as he sank back into the couch, head rested lightly against Grayson’s arm that was slung across the back of the couch.

“Yeah! We’re not taking orders though. You just have to deal with what we make,” Luca told Hayden from where he was buried beneath an extremely happy Hestia. Hayden smiled and walked over to ruffle Luca’s hair before she collapsed into an armchair.

“I wasn’t gonna submit an order, doofus. I’m not an idiot. I know how Ryan works,” Hayden added as she pulled a blanket over her body.

“You know, you wouldn’t be so cold if you actually put a shirt on,” Grayson told her with a chuckle. Hayden rolled her eyes and flipped Grayson off.

“Shut up. No one asked you and I will never give up the opportunity to curl up beneath a blanket. And Devin isn’t here to try and steal my blanket either. I’m taking advantage,” Hayden huffed out. Ryan snorted and then pulled his knees up to his chest.

“Devin is the worst while watching movies,” Ryan commented. Luca and Hayden both hummed in agreement as they got more comfortable, sharing the bowl of popcorn between them.

“Where is he, anyway?” Grayson asked. Ryan hummed slightly and looked up at Grayson, who was looking back.

“Since we’re done until Monday he went back to my parents’ house to spend the rest of the week with Lasey,” Ryan answered. “Just be happy she didn’t come here.”

“Agreed,” Luca chirped. “I don’t think Mom would have let me come here if that had been the case.”

“Probably not,” Ryan agreed as he settled back into the couch. “Now, onto another Halloweentown or a different movie?”

“My pick!” Hayden immediately squeaked.

“No fair! I’m the guest!” Luca whined as he wormed his way out from beneath Hestia, who groaned unhappily.

“I have seniority. You’re only twelve. I’m twenty,” Hayden replied as she stuck her tongue out at Luca, who did the same in response.

“I’m still the guest and the nephew of the guy who lets you live here for free,” Luca countered.

“He’s got a point,” Ryan said with a small shrug.

“That’s cutthroat,” Grayson breathed. Ryan barked out a laugh and pat Grayson’s knee.

“Luca learned how to be cutthroat at a young age,” Ryan told him.

“Yeah. Between you, Lasey, and Caron I had to. Mostly Caron though,” Luca quipped as he darted to Ryan’s room before Hayden could.

“You’re a cheater!” Hayden squawked as she threw the blanket off of herself and chased after Luca. Luca cackled and then squealed a few seconds later. Hayden released a bugle and Hestia barked once as she decided to take after Luca and Hayden. Grayson watched with wide eyes while Ryan chuckled.

“Is this normal?” Grayson asked.

“Oh, yeah. This is regular for movie nights with some of the younger kids involved,” Ryan replied. “Everyone pretty much reverts to being children. I once witnessed Dad tackle Papa to the floor and pin him there to tickle him because he didn’t want to watch the movie Papa wanted to.”

“Seriously?” Grayson asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed. “Mind you, that was last summer.”

“Wow,” Grayson breathed. Ryan laughed and then turned in order to poke Grayson’s cheek.

“You’re telling me you’ve never done stuff like that with your siblings?” Ryan asked. Grayson shook his head as he looked at Ryan skeptically.

“My parents came up with a schedule of who got to pick the movie for movie night,” Grayson told Ryan. Ryan released a long sigh and shook his head.

“Your household must have been so boring,” Ryan breathed in disappointment.

“I don’t see how physically battling over such trivial things is considered fun,” Grayson retorted.

“ _Dude_ ,” Ryan said seriously. “You did not just say that to me.”

“What? Why? Ah!” Grayson yelped as Ryan cackled and then tackled Grayson to the couch. “Ryan! Get off!”

“Never!” Ryan bugled as he sat down on Grayson’s abdomen and latched onto Grayson’s wrists tightly. Grayson struggled against Ryan, trying to break Ryan’s grip. “Thou shall not win! I am ever reigning champ in my household!”

“Maybe because you surprise attack people!” Grayson exclaimed.

“Exactly!” Ryan giggled as he smiled down at Grayson and then pinned Grayson’s hands to the couch. “No one ever said fights had to be played fairly.”

“That’s cheating, then,” Grayson countered.

“No. Cheating in the Castellan household is something unspeakable that you can only do with your significant other,” Ryan replied easily with a shrug. Grayson’s eyebrows knit together then as he stopped struggling.

“Do I even want to know?” Grayson asked.

“Cheating in the Castellan household involves using your body to purposely bring your partner to submission,” Hayden informed as she walked back into the room with Luca clinging to her back and Hestia on her heels. Grayson’s eyebrows shot up then and he looked up at Ryan in shock.

“It’s a useful tactic,” Ryan said with a shrug. “It’s just a little disturbing when you watch your parents do it.”

“It’s just a little disturbing when you watch your best friend do it to your other best friend,” Hayden shot out as Luca snorted and dropped from her back to climb back onto his spot on the couch.

“You’ve done that to Devin?” Grayson asked in shock. Ryan shrugged one shoulder and nodded once.

“It’s very easy to make Devin feel awkward,” Ryan replied easily as he sat back slightly.

“That’s because you’re basically his brother,” Luca said as he allowed Hestia to cover him again. Ryan smiled widely and mischievously.

“Gotta use everything I got,” Ryan added smugly.

“Don’t see how you have to use _that_ since you’re stronger than Devin,” Grayson commented.

“Yeah, but overpowering with strength only isn’t as fun!’ Ryan chirped happily before he rolled off of Grayson and onto the floor. Hayden snorted and shook her head as she tossed the DVD she and Luca had picked out at Ryan. He caught it easily and then crawled over to the DVD player. “Oo, Scorch Trials, nice choice. Just don’t let Jude know I let you watch it.”

“I’m not an idiot, Ryan,” Luca hissed out as he looked at Ryan with narrowed eyes. Ryan simply shrugged and put the DVD in before he easily rolled into a handstand.

“Dem abs, though,” Hayden crooned. Ryan snorted as he walked towards her on his hands and then shoved a foot in her face. Hayden squawked and shoved Ryan’s foot out of her face. “You’re gross.”

“Yep!” Ryan chirped happily before he dropped back to his knees and began to crawl back over to the couch. Grayson simply stared at Ryan in wonder, jaw dropped open slightly. “What?”

“You are literally the clumsiest person I know, yet you just walked across your living room on your hands in order to shove your foot in Hayden’s face flawlessly,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan beamed and bounced up onto the couch to press Grayson’s cheeks together.

“I keep telling you that I can be graceful when I’m not walking,” Ryan hummed.

“And I keep telling you that I’ll believe it when I see it,” Grayson countered.

“Well, you just saw it,” Luca laughed. “Though still not as graceful as when he dances.”

“Pretty much,” Hayden agreed as she gave Luca a high-five. Grayson just shook his head and then pulled Ryan to his side roughly, arm wrapped around Ryan’s neck. Ryan squeaked but then hummed happily as he leaned into Grayson’s side.

“Movie!” Luca exclaimed then, pointing towards the TV with the hand that wasn’t trapped under Hestia’s body.

“Yeah, yeah. If you end up with nightmares you’re not crawling into my bed,” Ryan told Luca as he pressed the play button.

“Don’t lie in front of the nice man, Ryan. It’s not flattering,” Luca immediately shot back. Ryan and Hayden both snorted then and Ryan chucked a pillow at Luca, who cackled and hit the pillow back in Ryan’s direction.

“Shut up, you little twerp,” Ryan added. Luca just smiled at Ryan before he turned his attention to the TV. Ryan smiled as well and reached out with his foot to nudge Luca lightly even as he settled against Grayson’s side with Grayson’s arm still wrapped around his chest.

Hayden looked over at Ryan then and smirked as she quirked an eyebrow. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped her off even as he sank further into Grayson’s embrace as Grayson slouched down slightly. Hayden shook her head slightly and flipped Ryan off as well before she curled up beneath her blanket again. Ryan just smiled to himself and rolled his eyes as he and Grayson leaned together before they fully turned their attention to the movie.

000000

Ryan woke up the next morning to Hestia nudging his forehead with her nose impatiently. Ryan grumbled and swat lightly at her muzzle, only to have her nip at his fingers in response. He sighed and cracked open one eye then to look up and see Hestia standing over Luca in order to stare down at him. As soon as Hestia realized Ryan was looking at her, she began to pant in excitement and then hit him with one paw before she jumped off the bed.

“God, hold on,” Ryan grunted as he started to pull himself out from between Luca and Grayson. Grayson made a small noise and grabbed at Ryan’s hip.

“No,” Grayson complained in a sleepy voice. Ryan chuckled and pat Grayson’s calf as he crawled off of the bed.

“Shut up and go back to sleep. I have to bring Hesty out,” Ryan whispered. Grayson hummed in response and sprawled out a bit as he buried his face in the pillows. Ryan smiled and shook his head before he leaned down in front of Luca. “Hey, Pup. You wanna come with me to take Hestia out for a walk?”

“Mmh mmh,” Luca replied as he shook his head minutely. “Warm. S’eep.”

“Mkay, bud. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when I get back,” Ryan said quietly before he kissed Luca’s forehead and then left the room to find Hestia waiting for him by the front door. Ryan smiled and grabbed her harness and his phone.

“Luca refused to get up?” Hayden asked as she walked up to him and slid her feet into her shoes.

“Yeah. Claimed he was warm. Can’t imagine why since there were three of us and a dog in the bed,” Ryan snorted as he clipped Hestia’s leash to her harness before they walked out the door.

“So Luca ended up in your bed, huh?” Hayden giggled.

“Of course,” Ryan replied. “Totally walked in right in the middle of a horror movie we were watching as well.”

“And how did that go?” Hayden asked with a giggle as she glanced over at Ryan, who immediately snorted as he pulled lightly on Hestia’s leash to get her to heel.

“Grayson is a giant chicken. He was hiding behind me for most of the movie,” Ryan told her.

“Was he actually scared or just pretending to be?” Hayden questioned with a raised eyebrow. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved her lightly.

“Stop insinuating things,” he added.

“I’ll stop insinuating when you stop being ridiculous,” Hayden countered. Ryan simply rolled his eyes again and stopped walking while Hestia sniffed around.

“Nothing is going to happen. We don’t like each other,” Ryan told her as they began walking again.

“Sure you don’t,” Hayden replied innocently. “I mean, I’ve never seen _you_ personally like someone so I can’t really give input, but I know what Grayson is like after two years of classes with him. He’s usually very reserved and quiet. Granted, he’s quieter than us still, but he retorts back with you and stuff.”

“That comes with having to work on a set together,” Ryan huffed out stubbornly.

“Mkay, boo,” Hayden chirped as she reached out to pat Ryan’s cheek affectionately. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night. But what really helps you sleep is _cuddling_ and it seems Grayson provides you with that whenever he _accidentally_ stays over. Which is ridiculous. We have an extra room.”

“Oh, hush. We usually fall asleep while watching a movie,” Ryan told her. Hayden simply rolled her eyes and pinched Ryan’s side lightly.

“Whatever, man,” she added as he grabbed Hestia’s leash from Ryan’s grip.

“You’re a pain in my ass,” Ryan told her. Hayden snorted and flashed a bright smile in Ryan’s direction.

“But what isn’t a pain in your ass is your lacking sex life,” Hayden shot back. Ryan shrugged and nodded slightly.

“You’ve got me there,” he added. Hayden released a loud laugh and then leaned into Ryan’s side while they walked.

“C’mon. We should go back and wake up the slumbering beasts,” Hayden commented as she pulled lightly at Ryan’s wrist.

“Yeah, probably,” Ryan agreed. “At least we don’t have to deal with waking Devin up.”

“God, true,” Hayden sighed. “Are you guys coming to Lowell’s game later?”

“No idea yet. It’s up to Luca,” Ryan replied as he unclipped Hestia’s leash so she could wander a bit ahead of them. Hayden hummed in response and wrapped her arms around one of Ryan’s while they walked.

“You excited to see your family this weekend?” Hayden asked, breaking their silence. Ryan immediately smiled and nodded.

“God, yeah. It’s been too long since I’ve seen the beanies,” he added excitedly. “I just get random snapchats of them from Lasey.”

“That’s because Lasey is lame and has nothing to do with her life most of the time,” Hayden commented. Ryan hummed with agreement as they walked into the lobby of their building.

“Not gonna deny that,” Ryan breathed as they both waved to the guy at the front desk before getting onto the elevator behind Hestia.

“Mkay. You go wake the sleeping beasties, I will feed the four legged beasty,” Hayden huffed out as they walked into the apartment. Hestia immediately perked up and nudged Hayden’s hand with her nose before darting off into the kitchen with her tail in the air. Ryan and Hayden both laughed.

“Save me if Grayson tries to kill me,” Ryan said over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway. Hayden simply snorted in lieu of a response and Ryan smiled to himself as he walked into his room. He then walked over to the windows and threw the curtains open in order to let the sunlight in. Grayson immediately groaned loudly while Luca hissed and then rolled off the bed to crawl over to the closet. Ryan barked out a laugh and chased after Luca.

“No!” Luca squeaked as Ryan caught him around the middle. “Let me retreat to the dark!”

“Nope. It’s time to start on breakfast,” Ryan contradicted as he dragged Luca out of the closet and then placed Luca on his feet. Luca grumbled but then shuffled off towards the extra room where his bag was in order to get his toothbrush. “You’re the one who wanted to make breakfast!”

“Shut up!” Luca called out as Ryan chuckled.

“God, you are _so loud_ ,” Grayson hissed out unhappily. Ryan smiled and then jumped onto the bed to crawl over to Grayson.

“Yep. It comes with the Castellan family,” Ryan chirped as he pat Grayson on the back. “Now c’mon, you can go shower while we make breakfast. You don’t have to worry about Devin trying to pull shit on you while you shower today.”

“It’s the small blessings,” Grayson breathed as he rolled onto his back and stared up at Ryan. “I still don’t understand how you put up with Devin.”

“I’ve known him since we were three. I ain’t just gonna drop him now,” Ryan replied with a smile. “We bonded over dance and nothing will ever break that bond.”

“You’re telling me that Devin knows how to dance? Like routine, classical dance?” Grayson asked seriously. Ryan smiled and nodded.

“He’s quite good. It’s hard not to be when you start young and have Carson, Addie, and Daddy as teachers,” Ryan informed. “They’re very intense teachers. Even Miranda Castiello can’t keep up!”

“As in Olympic gymnast Miranda Castiello?” Grayson asked. Ryan smiled widely and nodded. “You know Miranda Castiello?”

“Yeah! She and Matt used to work together a lot for training,” Ryan replied.

“Matt that worked with Miranda Castiello. So, Matt Sanders. You know Matt Sanders,” Grayson accused.

“Mhm! He’s Uncle Darren’s biological older brother,” Ryan chirped. “Known Matt forever. He’s an actual menace. Not as bad anymore, unless he and Brant team up.”

“And Brant is…?” Grayson asked.

“My cousin. He’s Uncle Darren and Uncle Dalton’s son. He is nine and still likes to be referred to as _Sir Brant_ ,” Ryan laughed as he got up off the bed. “Now, enough about my family! Up! Shower! Breakfast!”

“Bossy,” Grayson grumbled as he kicked out at Ryan, who laughed and darted away from Grayson.

“Someone has to get your ass outta bed!” Ryan replied as he skipped down the hallway.

“Fuck you!” Grayson called out before Ryan heard his bathroom door slam shut.

“So much swearing so early in the morning,” Luca commented with a snort as Ryan walked into the kitchen.

“I don’t conform to that no swearing lifestyle,” Ryan huffed. “It’s boring.”

“Agreed,” Hayden laughed as she pulled the milk out of the refrigerator. Luca simply hummed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t act all nonchalant. God knows Caron has the mouth of a sailor when she’s not around Jay,” Ryan said.

“True. Doesn’t mean I do,” Luca countered.

“Oh, honey. Please. You’re trying to tell me that at nearly twelve years old you’ve never hissed out the word _fuck_ when not in front of your parents?” Hayden asked sweetly. Luca looked over at her with wide, shocked eyes then and Hayden smirked. “Exactly. And stop looking so worried. It’s not like we’re going to tell on you. We’re not snitches.”

“Snitches get stitches,” Ryan hissed dramatically as he pulled out the griddle. Hayden barked out a laugh and swat at Ryan’s ass.

“God, you’re lame,” Hayden added.

“And you love me anyway,” Ryan said sweetly with a smile. Hayden rolled her eyes even though she smiled slightly.

“Lord only knows why,” Hayden breathed out while Luca snorted.

“That’s how I feel too,” Luca agreed.

“Aw, you know I’m your favorite uncle!” Ryan bugled as he walked over to envelop Luca in a hug. Luca squealed indignantly but then went slack in Ryan’s arms.

“Speaking you’re my only uncle above the age of three, it’s hard to compete,” Luca said dryly. Ryan just giggled and then blew kisses against Luca’s cheeks.

“I let you take a break from home and cuddle with Hestia. I’m your favorite. There’s no denying it,” Ryan cooed.

“I dunno. Maybe you’ll marry Grayson. Then he can be my favorite uncle,” Luca deadpanned. Ryan blushed and spluttered then while Hayden burst out laughing and clutched onto the counter so she wouldn’t fall over.

“One, we’re not going to get married. Two, you barely even know him!” Ryan finally squawked as Hayden continued to cackle in the background. Luca shrugged noncommittally as he stirred pancake batter.

“Doesn’t mean he can’t become a favorite over you,” Luca added.

“God, I love this kid,” Hayden breathed out as she reached over to ruffle Luca’s hair. Luca beamed at her and scrunched up his nose slightly.

“Ugh. He hasn’t even been here a day and I’m ready to ship him back to Jude and Leon,” Ryan complained.

“Then I’m doing my job right!” Luca chirped happily as he started to spoon pancake batter out onto the hot griddle.

“Obnoxious, that’s what you are,” Ryan hissed out. Luca simply gave Ryan an innocent smile before he allowed Hestia to lick a bit of batter off of his fingers.

“Hark who’s talking,” Hayden snorted as she glanced over at Ryan with raised eyebrows. Ryan just rolled his eyes and flipped her off as he walked over to the cabinets to get a glass of water. Grayson appeared then, shaking water out of his hair as he padded over to grab the cup of coffee Hayden was holding out to him.

“I’m gonna have to leave soon. Charlie just texted me saying she’s nearly to my apartment,” Grayson sighed.

“Oo! Tell her hi for me!” Hayden giggled. Grayson rolled his eyes.

“I don’t think I’m gonna get a word in since she is going to take one look at my apartment and dig her claws in. I haven’t cleaned in a while and my roommates are gone so they haven’t cleaned either,” Grayson replied.

“Gee, maybe because you’ve barely spent a single night at your own apartment within the past two weeks,” Hayden said as she quirked an eyebrow at Grayson, who flushed and then jabbed her side with his elbow.

“Who’s Charlie?” Ryan asked as he grabbed an extra spatula to flip pancakes with Luca.

“My older sister. She doesn’t like to plan. She just likes to show up and force people into clearing their schedules,” Grayson sighed with a shake of his head.

“God. Never introduce her to Lasey,” Luca breathed. Ryan snorted and nodded in agreement.

“Lase literally does the same thing. She is very sure that she is the most important person to everyone in the family, but god forbid you treat her like a princess,” Ryan said.

“Your sister certainly is a special one,” Hayden agreed. “However Charlie isn’t really the _everyone should love me_ type so much as the _I want to surprise you so I really fucking hope you have free time_.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Grayson agreed as he brandished his cup in Hayden’s direction. “She really should plan more, though.”

“Mhm,” Hayden hummed. Then she turned to look at Ryan. “I literally met Charlie in the library freshman year while we were studying for our bio midterm. We were neck deep in textbooks and some chick randomly popped up behind Grayson and wrapped herself around him. I was really confused, to say the least.”

“Sounds like Nico whenever they come to visit,” Luca commented. Ryan snorted and bumped Luca’s shoulder lightly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Nico comes barreling into a room in a mess of limbs and hair,” Ryan said. Luca barked out a laugh and nudged Ryan back even as he nodded.

“See, I can’t add any input because I haven’t met Nico yet,” Hayden breathed.

“That’s because he lives in Florida,” Ryan laughed. “It’s a rare occasion that the Florida dwellers make it back up here. Though, I think Uncle Danny and Roy are thinking about moving up here within the next two years.”

“God, the more I hear, the larger your family seems,” Grayson breathed.

“Oh, believe me. Ry’s family is _huge_. You’ve got his dads’ siblings and then you’ve got all of their friends from high school. Then comes in the friends from college and then Ry’s biological mom’s side,” Hayden told Grayson. “I’ve known him since freshman year and I’ve barely made a dent in meeting all of his family.”

“You forgot Drew and his kids,” Luca easily commented.

“Oh god, yeah. Ry’s grandma basically got re-married and so he gained two extra uncles and an extra aunt,” Hayden said.

“Re-married? What happened to your grandpa?” Grayson asked as he looked over at Ryan in confusion. Ryan huffed out a breath as he transferred a few pancakes to a plate.

“He died when my dads were twelve. He’s my namesake, actually,” Ryan replied with a small sigh. “Pretty sure when Daddy and Papa found out I was a boy, all name options other than _Ryan_ flew out the window.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it from stories I’ve heard from Curt and Alyssa,” Hayden said as she hopped up onto the counter and grabbed a pancake to eat. “Your dads are giant saps.”

“You don’t even know,” Ryan and Luca snorted in unison. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he grabbed a pancake and then slapped a hand to Hayden’s leg.

“Well, I need to head out before my sister tries to murder me. If I don’t see you before you leave on Friday, have fun with your family this weekend,” Grayson said as he walked over to pat Ryan’s cheek before he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan smiled in response and scrunched up his nose.

“Thanks. I’m sure I’ll talk to you while I’m there. I can only handle so much of my family,” Ryan replied. Grayson simply hummed and placed a hand on the small of Ryan’s back briefly before he walked away to grab his bag and shoes by the door.

“Drive safe on Friday!” Grayson called as he walked out the door.

“Yep!” Ryan and Hayden replied easily. Luca simply looked down at the griddle intently, trying not to laugh. Hayden leaned over then and made sure Grayson was gone before she squealed and slapped Ryan upside the head.

“Hey! What the fuck?” Ryan screamed as Luca burst out laughing while Hayden pointed at Ryan seriously.

“You tryna give me that bullshit this morning when he just fucking touched the small of your back before he left! That shit ain’t a casual touch, Castellan! The both of y’all are in denial! Fuckin’ hell!” Hayden exclaimed as Luca continued to laugh and lean against the counter for support.

“There is nothing going on, god!” Ryan yelled back. Hayden groaned loudly and then flailed her hands in Ryan’s face.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” she added. “Like, god. How oblivious d’you get?”

“Pretty oblivious,” Luca snorted. Then he looked up at Ryan with a glint in his eye. “You’re lucky Lasey wasn’t here. Pretty sure she would have beat you up by now.”

“He’s fucking lucky _I’m_ not beating him up!” Hayden squeaked as she jumped off the counter and waved her arms in the air. Hestia looked up at Hayden excitedly, tail wagging. “You hear that, Hestia? Your daddy is as dumb as a bag of rocks. You know it, don’t you? You know you’re daddy’s an idiot, huh?”

Hestia barked happily once and ran around Hayden’s feet a few times, tail still wagging madly. Ryan gave Hayden a deadpan expression.

“That’s not fair. You used the excited voice on her. Don’t try and turn my own dog against me,” Ryan grumbled stubbornly. Hayden merely rolled her eyes and flaunted out of the room, middle finger brandished over her shoulder.

“You stepped in it, Ry,” Luca laughed.

“Shut up, dude,” Ryan hissed as he wrapped an arm around Luca’s neck and ruffled Luca’s hair roughly. Luca screeched and slapped at Ryan’s arms. “That’s what you get, you annoying nugget!”

“You’re a nugget!” Luca retorted.

“Hoo! The nugget’s got insults!” Ryan laughed as he continued to ruffle Luca’s hair.

“Nugget’s also got information that he could give to your older sister!” Luca replied.

“Oh, so you’ve learned how to play dirty. Is this what Caron has been teaching you?” Ryan asked as he stopped and looked down at Luca with a quirked eyebrow. Luca smiled mischievously and scrunched up his nose.

“It’s what I’ve learned by observing you and Lasey,” Luca chirped.

“Y’know, that makes sense,” Ryan hummed as he released Luca. Luca just chuckled and nodded in agreement.

“I know. Why do you think I said it?” Luca asked in response.

“God, keep the sass to yourself,” Ryan said.

“Never!” Luca bugled as he flipped the last pancake off of the griddle, grabbed one, and then ran off into the living room. Ryan just laughed and chased after Luca and easily caught up to him and threw Luca over his shoulder. Luca just laughed and gripped onto Ryan’s shirt as Ryan carried Luca over to the couch.

“God, you guys are weird,” Hayden breathed as she watched them and shook her head.

“We know,” Ryan and Luca both laughed as they settled onto the couch.

“As long as you do,” Hayden replied as she turned on the TV and then went to grab the rest of the pancakes.

“No denial here,” Ryan said as he grabbed a pancake from the plate. Hayden simply hummed and then collapsed onto the couch with them as well before they turned their attention to whatever cartoons were playing at the moment.

000000

“Psst, Ryan,” a quiet voice whispered on Saturday morning. Ryan grumbled and rubbed his face into his pillow. He felt a poke then before he heard a small giggle. “Daddy say time to wake up.”

“Did he?” Ryan asked as he peeked up from his pillow to look over at Avalon. Avalon beamed and nodded once, her pigtails bouncing on either side of her head.

“Papa still sleep, though,” Avalon added as she scrambled onto the bed with Ryan. Ryan chuckled and rolled over and pulled Avalon onto his stomach.

“Papa’s a grumpy Gus in the morning, huh?” Ryan asked.

“Yah. Tha’s why send Lasey in,” Avalon giggled as she bounced slightly on Ryan’s stomach. He just smiled at her and then reached over to grab his phone to check his messages. He only had one from Grayson and ignored it in favor of opening Snapchat to take a video.

“Ready for our morning routine?” Ryan asked. Avalon’s eyes immediately sparked with excitement as she nodded. Ryan chuckled and started to film before singing out, “[Don’t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lkyqLhLXQ4) matter what you look like, don’t matter what you wear…”

“How many rings you got on yah finger, we don’ care!” Avalon immediately squeaked in response before she giggled and launched down to nuzzle into Ryan’s chest. Ryan chuckled and kissed the top of her head as he stopped recording. “Go  get b’eakf’ast now?”

“Yeah. Hold on,” Ryan replied as he typed out _morning routine with my jelly bean_ across the screen and then sent it to Grayson. He then nudged Avalon off of himself so he could roll off of the bed. Avalon slid to the floor and giggled, skipping around the room. Ryan smiled at her as he got up and stretched his arms over his head. His phone went off then with a Snapchat notification. Ryan smiled as he opened Grayson’s snapchat, which was just a black screen with _SINCE WHEN DO YOU SING_ … _and god, so many cavities_ written across the screen. Ryan chuckled and then looked down at Avalon. “Lead the way, my jelly bean.”

“Kay!” Avalon chirped happily before she stomped off down the hallway with Ryan following behind her. Ryan began to record again as he stomped lightly behind Avalon.

“[Tell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU8aKj8t7gM) everybody I’m on my way, new friends and new places to see! With blue skies ahead, yes I’m on my way, and there’s nowhere else that I’d rather be,” Ryan sang as he stomped along and recorded. Avalon simply giggled in front of him, head down as she concentrated on her own feet.

“God, what are you even doing?” Hayden asked as Ryan and Avalon emerged into the kitchen. Ryan looked up with wide eyes and froze in place while Avalon continued forward to tackle Kyler onto the floor. “Oh, gotcha. Conversing with Grayson. Carry on.”

“You’re a pain,” Ryan hissed out even as he sent the snapchat to Grayson. Hayden just smiled and rolled her eyes as she lifted her coffee cup to her mouth.

“Is this the same Grayson I met?” Riker asked with interest.

“Yes, Daddy,” Ryan replied as he walked over to kiss Riker’s cheek.

“Aw, you’re snapping him videos of you and Avie?” Jude cooed loudly. Ryan glared over at her as he sat down next to Hayden.

“Yeah, he is. I can tell because Grayson just texted me a bunch of random letters and then asked if I knew Ryan sang,” Hayden chuckled as she tapped something out on her phone. “I totally hadn’t realized you hadn’t sang in front of him before now. I mean, you’ve been hanging out together for nearly three months.”

“I didn’t realize either,” Ryan said with a shrug as he pulled Kyler into his lap when Kyler toddled up to him.

“It’s surprising that you haven’t, to be honest,” Jude commented. “You’re usually singing all the time.”

“Been a bit busy acting this summer,” Ryan replied. “And whenever we’re at my apartment we’re usually watching movies.”

“And cuddling. Don’t forget the cuddling,” Hayden snorted as she pulled Avalon into her lap. Riker and Jude both quirked eyebrows in Ryan’s direction at that and Ryan heaved a sigh.        

“God, you all need to stop judging me. It’s just cuddling,” Ryan scoffed.

“Cuddles da best,” Kyler commented with a giggle as he wiggled back against Ryan’s chest. Ryan smiled and hugged Kyler tightly and kissed the top of his head.

“They are, aren’t they?” Ryan asked. Kyler simply snuffled out a giggle and nodded in agreement.

“Okay, back on topic. What’s going on with this Grayson guy?” Jude asked as she bounced over to the counter and propped her chin in her hands to look at Ryan excitedly. Riker turned in interest as well, and small smirk on his face. Ryan immediately rolled his eyes while Hayden snorted and shook her head.

“Don’t listen to whatever he wants to tell you. They’re both idiots. I can safely say that after knowing both of them for two years and watching them interact with one another,” Hayden scoffed. “Like, literally the other day when Grayson was leaving the apartment he touched the small of Ryan’s back while he was saying good-bye.”

“There was so much tension,” Luca laughed as he walked into the kitchen with Spencer clinging to his back. “I was trying my hardest not to laugh. It felt like if I did Grayson would have run away like a startled puppy.”

“He would have,” Hayden confirmed as Ryan groaned.

“That’s so cute!” Jude squealed excitedly as she looked over at Ryan.

“Sounds like you found a winner, baby boy,” Riker commented as he walked over to get a cup of coffee.

“God, you all need to stop talking like we’re going to date. There’s no way in hell that he would ever date me,” Ryan grumbled. Hayden gave Ryan a disbelieving look while both Riker and Jude’s eyes softened.

“Hey, what have I said about that?” Riker asked as he walked over to take Ryan’s face into his hands. Ryan sighed heavily and dropped his gaze even as Riker continued to inspect him. “Stop it. Look at me and say it. I want to hear you say it to me right now.”

“Don’t be self deprecating because the last guy I dated was scum on this earth,” Ryan deadpanned. Riker pinched Ryan’s cheek lightly.

“I’d appreciate it if you actually meant it, but at least I got you to say it,” Riker added before he smacked a kiss to Ryan’s forehead. Ryan rolled his eyes while Jude reached over to take Ryan’s hand into her own.

“Seriously, though. Eric was terrible. Please don’t think that you’re not good enough because of how he was, okay?” Jude asked. Ryan simply grunted in agreement as he hugged Kyler tightly with his free arm. Hayden inspected Ryan carefully, but Ryan avoided her gaze since she didn’t know the entirety of what had happened.

“Ryan be happy,” Kyler squeaked then as he tilted his head back to smile up at Ryan. Ryan smiled and kissed Kyler’s forehead.

“As long as I’ve got you, we’re good,” Ryan assured. Kyler giggled happily and nuzzled into Ryan’s chest while Hayden smiled and shook her head at them.

“You’re sickeningly adorable with your baby siblings, I hope you know that,” she told him. Ryan smiled widely at her and nodded in acknowledgement.

“I know. And I intend to let Grayson know,” Ryan replied as he opened Snapchat back up to take a picture of himself and Kyler. Kyler quickly made a face as he pressed his cheeks together and pursed his lips. Ryan giggled to himself as he saved the picture before he sent it off to Grayson with a caption of _the little pinto bean loves selfies_. Grayson quickly sent one back in which he was wearing a confused expression with _pinto bean…?_ written on the screen. Ryan smiled and then opened a text in favor of snapping back to explain that Kyler was pinto bean because of the brown freckles the toddler gained across his nose and cheeks during summers.

“You’re seriously nauseating and you’re not even dating,” Hayden whispered to Ryan as she allowed Avalon to play with her fingers. Ryan stuck his tongue out at her before he put his phone back on the counter. Kyler made an interested noise and made to reach for Ryan’s phone.

“Shut up,” Ryan added as he pulled his phone back towards himself in order to open the drawing app for Kyler, who squeaked happily and kissed Ryan’s cheek in thanks.

“Don’t have to when I have to live with you and witness all the ridiculous cuddling,” Hayden countered.

“She’s got a point,” Luca chuckled from where he was sitting on the living room floor with Spencer playing with blocks. “The second night I was at your place I went to ask you a question but you both were passed out on your bed all tangled together. I just left and went to find Hayden.”

“Mhm,” Hayden agreed.

“You better have taken pictures,” Jude immediately shot out. Hayden looked over at Jude sarcastically.

“What do you take me for? An idiot?” Hayden asked in response. Jude giggled and skipped around the counter and stuck her hands out for Hayden’s phone.

“You’re all terrible,” Ryan informed them.

“Aw, we just want to see you happy, baby boy,” Riker said as he smiled sweetly over at Ryan, who rolled his eyes in response. “Plus, we all know you don’t just bring any of your friends to your apartment, so the sole fact that you invited him into your home says something.”

“Yeah, that I spend days on end on a set with him and got tired of only hanging out on set because that’s boring,” Ryan replied.

“If that’s what you wanna tell yourself, boo,” Hayden cooed airily as she and Jude looked at pictures on her phone. Ryan pinched her side in retaliation and Hayden grunted as she swat at Ryan’s hand. “You’re just annoyed because you like him and don’t know what to do about it.”

“God, _shut up_ ,” Ryan hissed as he pinched her again. Hayden just smiled widely at him before turning back to her phone and Jude. Riker chuckled and walked over to kiss Ryan’s cheek.

“Don’t worry about it, just let what’s going to happen, happen,” Riker told him. Ryan rolled his eyes and nudged Riker with his elbow. Riker smiled and rested his chin on top of Ryan’s head. Kyler looked up then and smiled widely at Riker.

“Hi, Daddy,” Kyler squeaked.

“Hi, Ky,” Riker replied with a chuckle as he ruffled Kyler’s hair. “Why don’t you and your beanie sister go get dressed and then wake up Papa?”

“Oo, okay!” Avalon immediately squeaked as she wriggled her way out of Hayden’s arms. Kyler squawked and dropped out of Ryan’s lap in order to run after his sister. Ryan, Riker, Jude, Hayden, and Luca all smiled and shook their heads as they watched while Spencer watched like she was contemplating following the twins.

“And on that note, I am going to take Hestia for a walk,” Ryan said as he slid out of the chair. “You gonna come, Hayds?”

“Yeah,” Hayden hummed as she put her phone on the counter and got up as well.

“Hestia! C’mon! Get up, it’s time for a walk!” Ryan called out. A few seconds later they all heard a noisy yawn before Hestia came trotting out of Ryan’s room. She came to a stop at Ryan’s feet and shook before she stared up at him expectantly. Ryan smiled and ruffled her ears before going to grab her leash. “We’ll be back!”

“Don’t die!” Luca called out.

“Don’t plan on it!” Ryan replied as Hayden giggled and walked out the door. Ryan smiled and followed after her into the humid, morning air. Hestia immediately sneezed and then shook again before continuing forward.

“What a weird dog,” Hayden breathed as she shook her head.

“Wow, what a weird person,” Ryan retorted as he glanced over at Hayden strangely. She snorted and shoved Ryan lightly before he pulled him back to her side so they could walk leaning into each other with Hestia plodding ahead of them happily.

000000

“Careful, Avie!” Ryan called out as she crawled up the stairs to the loft that looked out over the living room.

“Yah!” Avalon chirped in response as she giggled. Hestia barked once and then jumped up the stairs to catch up to Avalon.

“Wanna put Ch’istmas tree in dis window,” Kyler commented as he slapped his hands lightly against the large window that looked out over the back area of the building. Ryan chuckled as he put the twins’ leftover snacks in the refrigerator.

“It’s a bit early for a Christmas tree, Pinto,” Ryan said as he walked back out into the living room. Kyler looked back at Ryan and smiled widely.

“Neber too early,” Kyler replied happily before he skipped over to launch himself into Ryan’s arms. Ryan smiled and easy caught the toddler.

“It’s not even winter yet,” Ryan said as he kissed Kyler’s cheek.

“Winter gross,” Avalon chirped from where she was sitting on the stairs. “Too cold.”        

“I agree with you there, Avie,” Hayden hummed as she collapsed down onto the couch.

“That’s because you can’t stand your external temperature being the same as the temperature as your soul,” Devin retorted. Hayden pursed her lips and then punched Devin in the thigh as he walked by. Devin squealed as he crashed to the floor before he launched himself at Hayden. Hayden screeched out a giggle and attempted to fight Devin off of herself.

“Down with Devin!” Avalon squeaked happily as she immediately jumped off of the stairs to run over to Devin and Hayden excitedly. Hestia followed behind Avalon, barking excitedly. Kyler simply giggled from where he was perched on Ryan’s hip.

“You know it’s bad when a toddler wants you defeated!” Hayden cackled. Devin simply growled and renewed his efforts as Hayden tried to kick him off.

“Devin weak!” Kyler called out.

“No one asked you, Kyler!” Devin exclaimed.

“Too bad!” Kyler replied. Ryan chuckled and blew a kiss against Kyler’s cheek.

“You tell him, Ky,” Ryan added. Kyler giggled and nuzzled into Ryan’s neck.

“Hayden winning!” Avalon squeaked happily as Hestia continued to run around Avalon in circles while she barked loud enough that Ryan almost didn’t hear someone knock on the door.

“Hestia! Quiet!” Ryan exclaimed as he walked over towards the door. A smile immediately spread across Ryan’s face as he opened the door to see Grayson, who was trying to contain laughter while the woman next to him stared with wide eyes.

“Is someone here to help me beat Hayden?” Devin asked as he and Hayden continued to squabble while Avalon giggled and skipped over to attach herself to Ryan’s leg.

“Sorry, dude, but no,” Grayson laughed. Hestia immediately stopped sniffing at Hayden and Devin in favor of running over to greet Grayson, who chuckled and leaned down in order to let Hestia lick at his face.

“God, you didn’t tell me this dude had _kids_ ,” the woman next to Grayson breathed. Grayson and Ryan both looked at her then, Ryan with wide eyes while Grayson snorted.

“Ry, dat the man from yah phone,” Avalon said as she tugged at Ryan’s shorts with one hand while pointing at Grayson with the other. Ryan chuckled and then scooped Avalon onto his free hip.

“His name is Grayson,” Ryan told her as he gestured Grayson and the woman into the apartment. Grayson smiled and nudged Hestia through the door quickly before he shut it behind himself and the woman.

“Grayson,” Kyler chirped as he inspected Grayson’s face. Avalon giggled and looked up at Grayson with wide eyes.

“I win!” Hayden suddenly bugled as they heard Devin thump to the floor and groan. Hayden panted happily and then looked over at them. “Hey, Grayson, Charlie!”

“Another day, another loss for Devin, huh?” Grayson asked as he scratched Hestia’s head when she nudged his hand. Hayden smiled and rolled her eyes.

“Always,” she added. “So, Charlie, how come you’re here?”

“Visiting my baby bro, of course,” Charlie chirped happily. Grayson and Hayden both looked at her skeptically then. Charlie smiled and rolled her eyes as she looked over at Hayden. “Like you don’t know.”

“Oh, I do. I just wanted to confirm,” Hayden replied as she walked over and scooped Avalon up. “And just so you know, these two are _not_ Ryan’s kids. They’re his baby siblings.”

“Yep. My little beanie siblings,” Ryan chuckled as he hugged Kyler close to his chest and blew kisses against Kyler’s neck. Kyler giggled hysterically and pushed at Ryan’s cheeks before he nuzzled back into Ryan’s neck. “Now, Kyler. We need to greet our guests _nicely_ , and that does not include hiding in my neck.”

“Hi!” Kyler chirped then as he turned to beam at Grayson and Charlie.

“Atta boy. Now, that’s my friend Grayson. He’s in a movie with me. Grayson, these are Kyler and Avalon,” Ryan introduced. “Can you guys say hi?”

“Hi!” Avalon and Kyler squeaked in unison as they smiled at Grayson.

“Hello,” Grayson chuckled as he smiled at the twins. “And, this is my sister Charlie. Char, those are Ryan and Devin.”

“Are you guys normally as loud as you just were?” Charlie immediately asked.

“No,” Devin said.

“Yes,” Ryan, Hayden, and Grayson all replied.

“Don’t ever listen to Devin. He’s a menace,” Hayden told Charlie. “I only put up with him because of Ryan.”

“Hey!” Devin exclaimed in offence. “Who was the one who introduced you to Lowell?”

“Only because I had to pick your drunk ass up from a party!” Hayden retorted. Kyler and Avalon immediately began to giggle at that as they looked at Devin in anticipation for his comeback. Devin just stared back at Hayden stubbornly.

“Grow up, man,” Grayson chuckled as he clapped Devin on the shoulder and then walked by in order to sit down on the couch. Hestia followed happily and jumped lightly into Grayson’s lap in order to lie down and snuffle at Grayson’s hands. “Aw, I missed you too, Hestia.”

“She’s just being dramatic. She got to cuddle with Daddy and Papa all weekend. She loves them,” Ryan said as he walked over to sit next to Grayson.

“Tha’s cuz Papa likes sleep in,” Kyler hummed as he shifted in Ryan’s lap in order to pat Hestia’s thigh.

“Right you are, my little pinto bean,” Ryan praised.

“Pinto bean…?” Charlie asked as she walked over and sat down on the armchair. Ryan looked over at her and smiled.

“Yeah. The twins were nicknamed _the beanies_ as soon as they were found out to be twins. Kyler is my pinto bean because of these cute little freckles he gets in the summer,” Ryan cooed as he poked lightly at Kyler’s cheeks where the light brown freckles were visible.

“Avie got f’eckles all da time,” Kyler said through his giggles.

“Daddy say so we can play connect dots when we bored,” Avalon stated.

“Daddy is encouraging you to write on your face?” Ryan asked as Hayden walked over to sit on Ryan’s free side.

“No, he say we draw with _‘magination_ ,” Avalon replied with an exaggerated eye roll.

“Oh, _my mistake_ ,” Ryan told her as Hayden snorted and Grayson nudged Ryan’s shoulder with his own.

“So, how come you have your younger siblings?” Charlie asked as she inspected Ryan. He looked over at her and smiled as he hugged Kyler to his chest happily.

“We don’t have set again until Wednesday, so I kidnapped them from Daddy and Papa for a few days,” Ryan answered. “Also kind-of my birthday presents to them. Give them some precious alone time that they don’t have a lot of these days.”

“And we likes Ryan’s ‘partment!” Kyler exclaimed.

“Ryan very busy,” Avalon added as she crawled over to worm her way into Ryan’s lap as well. “Lasey lives home again, but Ryan live here.”

“Yah. We miss Ryan,” Kyler hummed as both he and Avalon cuddled into Ryan’s chest.

“Aw, I love you, you little beanies,” Ryan cooed as he hugged them both tightly and then smacked kisses to their cheeks. Both twins giggled and hugged Ryan’s chest.

“I mean, someone has to love you, because I don’t,” Devin scoffed.

“I don’t need you to love me, jerk-face,” Ryan retorted as he made a face at Devin, who made a face back.

“Didn’t you miss it, Grayson?” Hayden asked then as she looked around Ryan at Grayson.

“In a sense,” Grayson replied with a shrug while Charlie shook her head. Then, she looked back at Devin.

“Do you just know Grayson because of Ryan?” Charlie asked.

“In a way. I mean, Ryan’s the one who convinced Grayson to start hanging out here, but I also met him on set. I’m doing work there with filming,” Devin replied as he sat down on the coffee table.

“Oh. So you do film work?” Charlie asked excitedly. Devin hummed and nodded.

“I mean, it is my major,” Devin added.

“He acts so self entitled because he’s a film major,” Hayden said as she rolled her eyes. “Try double majoring.”

“Yep,” Ryan and Grayson both breathed in agreement.

“You’re a double major?” Grayson asked in confusion with furrowed brows.

“Mhm. Dance and theater,” Ryan replied as he allowed the twins to slide out of his lap to go play with the toys they had out on the table. “I mean, I’m not going to _choreography_ route that Dad did, but I’m basically doing the same thing he did without the addition of music.”

“Wait, Riker also did _music_?” Hayden squawked.

“Yeah. Not that he needed it. He started playing piano at the age of three,” Ryan chuckled.

“So did you, what’s your point?” Devin asked as he leaned back on his palms.

“I am nowhere _near_ as talented as Daddy on piano. He composed music while at Swat. I’ve watched videos of him playing piano while _plastered_ when he was sixteen. The only thing I can do while plastered is be even more clumsy and speak my mind,” Ryan countered.

“You already speak your mind,” Grayson pointed out.

“ _Oh_ , it is worse when he’s drunk,” Hayden snorted. “You’d also think he couldn’t get any clumsier on his feet, but drunk Ryan is way worse than sober Ryan.”

“Yeah. He tends to completely miss his bed when drunk,” Devin sighed wistfully. “It’s always an interesting scene of limbs flailing all over the place.”

“God, you guys are terrible,” Ryan grumbled while Grayson and Charlie snorted with laughter.

“That’s why we’re your friends, honey,” Hayden giggled. Ryan simply made a face and shoved Hayden lightly.

“God, where’s Lowell? Shouldn’t he be keeping you in check?” Ryan asked.

“Nope! He’s away doing stuff with incoming baseball freshman,” Hayden chirped happily.

“We see Lowell?” Avalon asked as she turned to look at Hayden.

“It’s possible depending on when he gets back. It will either be Tuesday night or Wednesday morning,” Hayden replied. Kyler blew a raspberry then as he slumped his shoulders.

“Old people busy,” Kyler complained.

“Hey, we’re not _old_ ,” Ryan told them.

“Old!” Kyler chirped as he rose to his knees in order to crawl over to Ryan. “You older than Luca. You old.”

“Caron and Nico are also older than Luca. Does that make them old?” Ryan asked. Kyler sat back on his feet then and looked up at the ceiling as his thought.

“Yeah,” Kyler finally decided.

“Oo, don’t let Caron hear you say that,” Devin said. Kyler stuck his tongue out at Devin and then crawled back over to Avalon who was giggling and stacking blocks back up.

“So, Charlie. Grayson has heard plenty of embarrassing stories about me. What’s some intell you can give us about him?” Ryan asked as he turned to look at Charlie. Grayson’s eyes immediately widened before he turned to look at Charlie.

“No, you already apparently heard about the duck penis thing,” Grayson said as he looked back at Ryan.

“Duck penis thing?” Charlie asked. “God, did you seriously blabber about duck penises in front of people while on a movie set?”

“No. But he did in one of our classes one day last year and I told Ryan about it later on,” Hayden said airily. “But please, go on, give us some good Grayson stories.”

“Oh man. He was a weird little duck as a kid. And by that I mean he was obsessed with ducks. Like, seriously _obsessed_. He was a duck for Halloween from the ages of two to five,” Charlie told them. Devin immediately burst out laughing while Hayden bit at her bottom lip excitedly and reached over to slap Grayson’s knee while Grayson blushed.

“That’s weird? Because I totally dressed as a frog for Halloween during that same period,” Ryan said with a shrug. Charlie eyed Ryan for a few seconds before turning a deadpan look on Grayson.

“Seriously, man? Perfect,” Charlie commented.

“ _Charlie_ ,” Grayson hissed as he blushed and reached out to punch her shoulder. Charlie simply rolled her eyes and shoved Grayson before she turned to look back at Hayden, Ryan, and Devin.

“Hm. What else? Oh! He totally slept with Mom and Dad until he was, like, ten. Just because he liked to cuddle and Preston, Colby, and I wouldn’t let him sleep with us,” Charlie said.

“God, you clearly need better material. While Grayson obsessing over ducks is hilarious, that is not. Riker and Jeff legitimately have a king size bed so they can cuddle with all of their kids,” Devin told Charlie, whose brows furrowed together. Devin huffed out a breath and then gestured at Ryan. “This dude literally still sleeps with his dads sometimes, as does his older sister. Their family is very cuddle oriented.”

“Yeah, and you let me think you didn’t like to cuddle, asshole,” Ryan hissed as he slapped Grayson, who squawked and then butted his head into Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes as he pat the top of Grayson’s head.

“You’re both ridiculous,” Hayden told them. “And I don’t see how Grayson could have fooled you since the first night he spent here you guys cuddled and passed out while watching Princess and the Frog. When Devin and I went to check up on you guys you were wrapped up together with Hestia curled up at your feet.”

“God, what is with you and that damn movie?” Charlie breathed out with an exaggerated eye roll.

“Hey! Princess and the Frog is a classic!” Ryan defended.

“Yah!” Avalon chirped in agreement from where she and Kyler were still stacking blocks.

“God, you really have found your person, haven’t you?” Charlie snorted as she looked at Grayson with a quirked eyebrow. Grayson made a face at her and kicked her knee, careful not to shift Hestia too much as she had fallen asleep in her lap.

“You’re literally the worst sister ever,” Grayson added. Charlie just giggled and then reached over to squish Grayson’s cheeks together and kiss the tip of his nose.

“You love me,” Charlie cooed.

“Only because I have to,” Grayson grumbled in response. Charlie hummed and pat Grayson’s cheek before she retreated back into her chair.

“Just like every other pair of siblings ever,” Hayden giggled as she slouched down slightly and leaned against Ryan’s shoulder.

“True,” Devin agreed before he rolled off the table and then scooted over to Kyler and Avalon. “You two want to come with me to pick up dinner?”

“Yeah!” they both squeaked as they stared up at Devin excitedly.

“Mkay, go get your shoes,” Devin told them. Both toddlers scrambled up quickly and ran towards the door to retrieve their shoes.

“Injure them and die, Porter,” Ryan said as he pointed at Devin seriously. Devin rolled his eyes and flapped a hand in Ryan’s direction.

“They’re basically my younger siblings too, chill out,” Devin added as he stood up and then walked over to grab the keys to Ryan’s car since that’s where the car seats were. Avalon and Kyler both giggled and skipped around Devin’s legs. “We’ll be back soon. Don’t have too much fun without me!”

“We’ll make sure to throw a rager while you’re out,” Hayden shot as Devin walked out the door and waved. Charlie giggled and then turned to Ryan and Hayden.

“So, how did you all meet?” Charlie asked. Ryan smiled and leaned back against the couch as he rested a hand on Hestia’s back leg.

“Devin I met when I was three. We were in the same dance class at my dad and Addie’s studio. Hayden we met freshman year when we went to look around my dads’ old dorm8,” Ryan told her.

“And my life was never the same afterwards,” Hayden breathed. “Especially since you whisked me away from dorms second semester.”

“You could have waited to move,” Ryan accused.

“Nah. My roommate was terrible. I was always in your room anyway,” Hayden said with a shrug.

“The dorms were terrible,” Grayson commented with a shudder.

“God, they really were,” Ryan agreed.

“Why did you move after your first semester?” Charlie asked. Ryan heaved out a sigh and rolled his head back.

“My ex goes to Swat as well and he was being creepy. So I bought this apartment and I moved here with Devin and Hayden,” Ryan told her.

“Excuse me? _Bought_?” Charlie squawked.

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed with a nod. “I’d built up a lot of money between the ages of sixteen and eighteen when I could finally access it. I was in four movies and a few music videos. Not to mention Youtube videos with some family members. Jude and Josh always give me a small cut of what they make off the videos I’m in even if I try to refuse.”

“That’s because they both make ridiculous amounts at this point,” Hayden scoffed.

“So does he, what’s your point?” Grayson asked. Hayden shrugged and nodded.

“Valid,” she added.

“Wait, back up. Which Jude on Youtube?” Charlie asked as she waved her hands in Ryan’s direction. Ryan looked over at her, brows furrowed for a second.

“Oh, she’s just Jude Stacy online,” Ryan answered. Charlie squeaked excitedly then and slapped Grayson.

“You didn’t tell me he knew her!” Charlie exclaimed.

“Ow! What the fuck?” Grayson yelled. “I didn’t realize that his sister was the Jude whose channel you watched!”

“Sister?” Charlie squawked as she looked over at Ryan with wide eyes.

“Technically. My dad adopted her after he and Jude’s mom graduated college,” Ryan told her. Charlie huffed out a breath and slouched back.

“God. Grayson lands himself in a movie and now he knows people with all these connections,” Charlie grumbled. Grayson chuckled and nudged Charlie’s knee.

“Guess who else he knows,” Grayson said. Charlie looked between Ryan and Grayson skeptically and Grayson giggled as he reached for Ryan’s phone.

“Hey!” Ryan exclaimed.

“Oh, hush. I know you have a picture with them on your phone,” Grayson replied as he went through Ryan’s pictures with one hand and shoved Ryan away with his other. “Ah! There it is!”

“Which one?” Ryan asked as he peeked over Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson chuckled and showed Ryan the picture he brought up, which was of Ryan draped over Matt’s back while Miranda stood tucked into Matt’s side, all three of them smiling widely despite the fact that they were visibly sweaty. “Ah, okay.”

“Mhm,” Grayson hummed before turning Ryan’s phone to show to Charlie.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Charlie deadpanned and she grabbed the phone from Grayson’s hand. “On top of having actors for fathers and famous youtubers for sisters, you know Olympic gymnasts.”

“Yeah. Matt’s kind-of my uncle,” Ryan replied.

“Kind-of?”’ Charlie asked skeptically.

“Yeah. My uncle Darren is adopted and Matt is Uncle Darren’s biological older brother,” Ryan told her. Charlie heaved out a sigh then and shook her head.

“I can’t even ask anything more about your family right now,” she breathed.

“It’s easier not to ask. Just assume whoever he is talking about is famous in some way,” Hayden said airily. “Once I accepted that I was fine. I’ve met people my mom would have _swooned_ over when she was in high school and I just know that they’re all kinds of fucked up and have walked in on Ryan’s parents having sex.”

“That’s a lie. Only a select few witnessed that, and all of them on accident other than Aunt Lily and Aunt Alyssa,” Ryan countered.

“That doesn’t make it any better, dude,” Grayson laughed.

“It really doesn’t,” Hayden agreed. “Plus, how many of them walked in on you in high school?”

“God! Not that many! That was mostly just my immediate family!” Ryan defended as Charlie looked over at Ryan with one eyebrow quirked. “It’s not like I was ever the worst in the family. Uncle Darren and Uncle Dalton take that crown. You don’t even want to know how old I was first time I witnessed penetrative sex.”

“Yeesh. Your family is all kinds of fucked up,” Hayden breathed as she got up and stretched her arms above her head.

“To say the least,” Ryan chuckled.

“At least they’re entertaining?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, god yeah,” Ryan said with a smile.

“I can agree with that and I’ve only met your dad, Jude, Luca, and now the twins in person,” Grayson huffed out.

“You met his dad?” Charlie giggled as she poked her younger brother. “Which one?”

“Riker. Daddy showed up on set one day for some piano crap,” Ryan told her as he pat Hestia’s thigh and then stretched out along the couch. “Papa doesn’t do much at all with movies anymore. He just keeps quiet and works at the local high school.”

“And complains about it every chance he gets,” Hayden giggled as she reached over to ruffle Ryan’s hair. Ryan hummed happily and then nodded in agreement.

“Complaining and being sassy is what Papa does best,” Ryan added.

“I have never heard a better way to describe Jeffry,” Devin cackled as he walked through the door with the twins by his side and pizza boxes in his hand.

“Pizza!” the twins squeaked happily as they threw their hands in the air.

“Yay!” Ryan exclaimed as he sat up to throw his hands in the air as well. “You guys want to pick out a movie to watch while we eat our pizza?”

“Big Hero 6!” Kyler immediately bugled. Avalon beamed and nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

“Ba la la!” she added before she took off to go get the movie from Ryan’s room.

“Careful, Jelly Bean!” Ryan called after her.

“Yah!” Avalon squeaked in response.

“Okay guys, come get your pizza!” Devin said as he placed a bunch of paper plates and napkins on the counter.

“You mind getting the movie in while I cut up pizza for the beans?” Ryan asked Devin when Avalon came skipping back into the living room happily.

“Sure thing, Ry,” Devin replied before he smacked a kiss to Ryan’s cheek and then walked into the living room to take the movie from Avalon. Charlie eyed Ryan oddly then before turning to look at Grayson and whisper something to him. Grayson shook his head slightly and whispered something back to Charlie, who then nodded in understanding before she latched onto Hayden’s arm and dragged her off.

“I feel like those two talking can’t lead to anything good,” Ryan commented as he watched Hayden and Charlie collapse onto the couch and begin to whisper to each other.

“I completely agree,” Grayson breathed as he began to slice up another piece of pizza while Ryan worked on the first. Ryan smiled and bumped Grayson lightly with his shoulder.

“Thanks,” Ryan added. Grayson simply hummed in response as he nudged Ryan with his hip.

“Pizza?” Kyler asked as he and Avalon walked up to Ryan with pleading eyes.

“Yep. G’head and sit at the coffee table and eat, okay?” Ryan asked in response as he carefully handed each Kyler and Avalon a plate along with a fork.

“Yeah,” Avalon chirped as she and Kyler both toddled off to the living room to sit at the coffee table as they were told.

“They’re so cute,” Grayson commented.

“They really are,” Ryan agreed as he and Grayson grabbed their own slices of pizza. “It makes me want to have kids one day.”

“Right?” Grayson agreed with a chuckle. Ryan just smiled and scrunched up his nose as they headed back into the living room to collapse on the loveseat since Devin had taken up the armchair.

“Sh. Movie,” Avalon said distractedly as she pointed at the screen. Ryan smiled and poked Avalon in the back with his toe. Avalon grunted stubbornly and swat back at Ryan’s foot without any real malice since she was paying attention to the movie. Ryan just chuckled to himself and settled into the couch and slightly into Grayson’s side while everyone ate and turned their attention to the movie as well.

000000

Ryan woke up the next morning feeling cramped. He groaned slightly and attempted to stretch in what space he had. He peeked open his eyes then to discover he was still curled up on the loveseat with Grayson and the twins. Ryan huffed out a sigh then and reached out to grab his phone. He ignored Lasey’s slew of texts for the time being and opened his camera in order to take a picture of himself with Grayson and the twins sleeping in the background.

“God you’re lame,” Hayden whispered suddenly. Ryan jumped slightly and then looked over towards where Hayden was sitting in the bay window. She giggled and shook her head slightly before she took a sip of her coffee that was in her hands. Ryan flipped her off and then opened his thread of messages with Lasey. He was immediately met with a picture of himself and Grayson leaned together on the loveseat, heads tipped together as they looked down at Ryan’s phone.

_WHAT IS THIS, RYAN?!_

_YOU aRE SO CUTE OHMYGOD_

_BUT SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FRICKLE FRACKLE, LITTLE BROTHER_

_YOU BEST ANSWER ME SOON I TOLD YOU I WANTED UPDATES AND YOU PROMISED ME THEM BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU. ARE. A. LIAR._

_But in all seriousness, this is adorable. Don’t rag on Devin for taking it and sending it. You know I just want you to be happy, right? Because I do. And it seems like this Grayson character makes you happy._

Ryan chuckled and rolled his eyes as he read through Lasey’s messages. Hayden smiled and shook her head at Ryan, who ignored her in favor of sending the picture he took to Lasey. She almost immediately responded with another slew of messages.

_RYAN_

_RYAN ARTHUR CASTELLAN WHAT IS THIS_

_RYAAAAAAAAAAN. HE IS CUDDLING WITH THE BEANIES_

_DEVIN DOESN’T EVEN CUDDLE WITH THEM LIKE THAT. RYAN WHO IS THIS MAN AND WHY IS HE SO ADORABLE. I DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM AND I WANT TO HUG HIM AND SQUISH HIS CHEEKS_

_I NEED A PHONE CALL. CALL ME RIGHT MEOW_

Ryan smiled and shook his head before he sent Lasey a simple text back saying that he would call her later before he pulled himself carefully out of the tangle of limbs. Hayden giggled as she watched him but then skipped after him as he went into the kitchen.

“I don’t understand how we always end up passing out during movies,” Ryan huffed quietly as he grabbed a banana and sat down at the counter. Hayden giggled and sat down across from him with her coffee.

“I don’t either, but I put Charlie up in the extra room. She was gonna wake Grayson, but she decided against it,” Hayden hummed.

“I had to. They were just _too cute_ ,” Charlie giggled as she padded quietly into the kitchen. She looked over at Ryan then and smiled widely. “I approve of you, by the way.”

“There is nothing to approve of,” Ryan grumbled stubbornly as he tore off a piece of banana. Hayden rolled her eyes while Charlie’s gaze softened.

“Oh, honey,” Charlie cooed. Ryan rolled his eyes at her. Charlie huffed and then looked over at Hayden.

“They’re both in denial,” Hayden said. “I ain’t dealing with it.”

“Idiots,” Charlie breathed as she walked over to grab a cup of coffee. Hayden hummed in agreement and ignored Ryan’s glare.

“We’re from different worlds,” Ryan commented.

“Well, yeah. You grew up among the rich and famous,” Hayden chuckled.

“Which is honestly mind blowing,” Charlie said. “You certainly don’t come across as such.”

“My dads didn’t raise us like that. I mean, we knew that we had money, but we still had to work for what we wanted,” Ryan told her. “Like, when I was really little I didn’t understand what it meant to be famous. Sure, I was confused that we got followed by people with cameras when we were out in public, but that was just my life.”

“Makes sense,” Charlie sighed.

“Doesn’t make it any less weird when you meet his family,” Hayden laughed. “I spent last summer with him and every other day I was meeting another family member of his that my parents watched on TV when they were in high school…or Broadway stars or Olympic athletes.”     

“I will have you know that every sibling from the Castellan and Aaronson clan have all been involved with Broadway at one point,” Ryan chuffed. “Uncle Darren is just the only one to have been on stage for as long as he was. Most everyone else was back stage.”

“Wait what? What did your dads do on Broadway?” Hayden asked as she looked at Ryan with wide eyes.

“Daddy did choreography and Papa did vocal lessons,” Ryan told her. “Daddy also was in a musical for a short amount of time. Both said they weren’t huge fans so they came back to Pennsylvania.”

“God, your family is ridiculous,” Hayden breathed while Charlie simply gaped at Ryan.

“So Grayson was being serious when he said that, like, everyone in your family is famous?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied. “There aren’t many extended aunts and uncles that aren’t, and even if they aren’t, they’re married to someone who is. Like Aunt Selena. She’s not famous, but she’s married to Uncle Joey, who was in Brandywine High with my dads.”

“Is it mostly just actors?” Charlie asked. Ryan shook his head and tossed his banana peel into the trash.

“There’s some who are pit musicians on Broadway, and others who do costuming, make-up, and set designing for Broadway. Addie has helped write a few things for Broadway and Off Broadway. Then there’s Martie and Jay. Martie was a model in her younger years and took it up again when I was a toddler. That’s how she met Jay. He was the photographer on one of her shoots. And, as you were told last night, we have an Olympic athlete in the family,” Ryan ticked off. Charlie just stared in wonder and shook her head. “Oh! There’s also Jude and Josh who are both pretty known on Youtube, but you already said you know who Jude is.”

“Yeah. Is Josh the one with the brown hair and pretty face that is in a few of her videos?” Charlie asked.

“Uh, that’s hard to say since Leon also has brown hair and a pretty face. Hold on,” Ryan told her before he grabbed his phone to pull up a picture of Logan and Josh from earlier in the summer. “That guy?”

“Yeah! How’re you related to him?” Charlie asked as she blinked at Ryan.

“He’s my cousin. He and Logan are my uncle Curt and aunt Maya’s older kids,” Ryan said.

“That’s his sister?” Charlie asked in shock as she looked at the picture again. “Is your aunt black?”

“Mulatto, but yeah. She has darker skin. Josh is the lightest skinned of all their kids. Emily and Ethan are between what Josh and Logan are,” Ryan told her. Charlie hummed and then startled slightly as Grayson walked up behind her and placed a hand on her back. Grayson snorted and Charlie slapped his arm.

“You’re the worst,” Charlie hissed.

“It’s my job, Char,” Grayson replied with a shrug.

“Waffles?” Avalon asked as she and Kyler padded up to Ryan, both of them rubbing their eyes.

“You know you need to brush your teeth first,” Ryan replied. Kyler groaned loudly and immediately stomped off. Avalon simply made a face at Ryan before following after her twin brother, arms hanging limply at her sides.

“God, I love those two little beanies,” Hayden sighed happily as she watched the two toddlers stomp towards Ryan’s room.

“They have their perks,” Ryan said as he got up to put a few waffles in the toaster so they were ready when the twins got back

“It almost makes me miss having young kids around,” Charlie commented. “And then I remember that most children I know are demons.”

“That’s typically the case in my family. Lase and I were the best behaved growing up,” Ryan said as he leaned against the counter. “You don’t even want to know how many times I witnessed book shelves being torn down when I was a kid.”

“Book shelves…?” Charlie asked skeptically. Ryan hummed and nodded.

“First the books would be thrown around the room and then if the shelf was small enough it went down. Granted, some of them were still pretty large in comparison to us. It’s just that a few kids would gang up. I’m surprised no one broke any bones,” Ryan breathed.

“From what I’ve heard, that’s true,” Hayden said. “Though, you were never involved and yet you broke multiple bones as a kid.”

“That’s because I can’t walk without tripping over my own feet,” Ryan countered.

“And you’re a dance major…?” Charlie asked. Grayson snorted and pat Charlie’s back.

“Everyone claims that he is a very graceful dancer. I have yet to see it,” Grayson said. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Grayson off quickly before he grabbed plates for the twins as they came plodding back into the kitchen with Hestia behind them.

“Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Ryan added. “Plus, I’ve been dancing since I was three. Between that and Daddy, dancing is just in my blood.”

“I can attest to that,” Hayden laughed as she lifted Kyler into a seat at the counter. “And I say that as someone who has watched Riker and Ryan come up with choreography in an instant for recitals.”

“Daddy and Ryan very good,” Avalon praised as Ryan picked her up.

“Aw, thanks, Jelly Bean,” Ryan cooed as he kissed her cheek before placing her next to Kyler. Avalon simply hummed and smiled at Ryan.

“Hey, Ry! You apparently have an interview with Grayson in an hour and a half!” Devin suddenly called down the hallway.

“ _What_?” Grayson and Ryan squawked at the same time.

“Oh, hey, Grayson. I totally thought you and your sister would have left during the night,” Devin said as he walked into the kitchen and clapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“That was a silly thought,” Hayden scoffed as she fed Hestia, who pranced happily around Hayden’s feet. Devin nodded and shrugged in agreement.

“Hold on, circle back to this _interview_ thing,” Grayson said.

“Oh, yeah. Lydia just called me. You guys have some kind of interview on set soon. It was sudden, obviously,” Devin replied as he grabbed a cup of coffee and then hopped onto the counter next to the refrigerator.

“Ugh, I hate when the press does crap like this,” Ryan groaned as he tipped his head back. Devin simply hummed in agreement and sipped at his coffee.

“At least it’s just on set,” Devin added.

“Agreed,” Ryan chuckled as he placed the plates of waffles in front of Avalon and Kyler. He turned to Grayson then and smiled. “Time for your first spontaneous interview! You should probably go home and change.”

“Ugh, probably,” Grayson agreed as Charlie shook her head and walked off to go grab her shoes. “I guess I’ll see you there soon.”

“Yep. Drive safe. And don’t dress too fancy. It’s probably just gonna be a casual interview since it is on set,” Ryan told Grayson.

“Mkay, thanks. See you in a bit,” Grayson replied as he leaned over to press a quick kiss to Ryan’s temple before darting away. Ryan froze then with wide eyes while Devin and Hayden both smiled widely with dropped jaws. Charlie’s giggles could be heard from the foyer and the twins were looking at Ryan thoughtfully while they ate their waffles.

Devin and Hayden both began to slap each other’s arms lightly while they waited to hear the front door shut.

“ _Grayson_!” Charlie’s voice squeaked from the hallway a few seconds after the door shut.

“ _Shut up_!” Grayson replied quickly before they heard him start to stomp down the stairs.

“ _Ryan_!” Hayden and Devin immediately bugled loudly as they looked over at him excitedly. Ryan simply stared back with wide eyes and shook his head minutely.

“I don’t-I just… _what_?” Ryan gasped as he blinked. Hayden giggled hysterically and walked over to squish Ryan’s cheeks together while Devin cackled in the background.

“This is so cute! You should have seen Grayson’s face after he did it!” Hayden squeaked happily.

“Big eyes,” Kyler stated before popping a piece of waffle into his mouth.

“Yah. An’ very red cheeks,” Avalon giggled as she slapped her own cheeks lightly. “Like Daddy after Papa says stuff sometime.”

“Oh my god. My baby sister just compared Grayson blushing after kissing my temple to my father blushing after my other father makes innuendo at him,” Ryan groaned. Devin laughed even harder at that and collapsed off of the counter. Hayden rolled her eyes.

“You just looked way too deep into that statement, honey,” Hayden told Ryan. “Firstly, Avalon doesn’t know what innuendoes are yet. Secondly, that’s just how she recognizes someone blushing.”

“Blushing?” Avalon asked then, head tilted to the side.

“Yeah. That’s what it is called when someone’s cheeks get all red when they’re embarrassed or flustered,” Hayden said. Avalon nodded and hummed in understanding before she tried to steal a piece of waffle from Kyler, who made a stubborn noise and moved his plate.

“Avie, stop trying to steal Ky’s breakfast and finish your own,” Ryan told her as he looked at the three year old seriously. Avalon merely stuck her tongue out at him in response before obeying.

“Don’t try and distract from this, Ryan! Grayson literally just _kissed your temple as a goodbye_!” Devin exclaimed with a flourish of his arms. Ryan heaved out a sigh and slumped against the counter.

“Yes, I know. But it doesn’t have to have meant anything,” Ryan countered. “And before you even try and argue with me, I need to go get ready.”

“Mkay. We’ll be here,” Hayden said with a smile before she flitted over to Devin to whisper something at him. Devin hummed and then glanced at Ryan quickly as Ryan walked away. Ryan ignored them as he kept walking towards his room.

Once there, Ryan closed the door and then flopped face down onto his bed and groaned. He didn’t move for a few seconds, thinking about what had happened and what he should do about it. He sighed then before he sat up, easily resolving to not mention anything about it unless Grayson mentioned it first. The only move Ryan made about it was to text Lasey about it and then quickly throw his phone away from himself in order to change before he left for the interview.

000000

“Ryan, you know that you and Grayson are here for an interview _together_ , right?” Lydia hissed as she stared at Ryan with hard eyes. Ryan’s own eyes widened as his gaze jumped up to Lydia from his phone.

“Yes…?” Ryan questioned with caution.

“Then stop texting whomever you’re texting and _talk with Grayson_ ,” Lydia ordered as she pointed at Ryan.

“Lasey is very important,” Ryan tried to argue. Lydia narrowed her eyes at Ryan and then pointed in Grayson’s direction.

“Go converse with your co-star. I don’t know what happened to make you guys randomly start to avoid each other, but fix it. The people want to talk to the guys who became inseparable, not the ones who are being awkward and avoiding one another,” Lydia growled. Ryan heaved out a sigh and slumped his shoulders before sliding out of the chair he had been in.

“God, I’ll go talk with him. Calm down,” Ryan grumbled as he shuffled towards Grayson. Lydia grumbled at Ryan and then went in a different direction. Ryan rolled his eyes and continued towards Grayson, who was also on his phone. Though, when Ryan got closer Grayson looked up. His eyes immediately widened and a flush crept up his cheeks. “Calm down, dude. I am no threat. Lydia is the threat.”

“What?” Grayson asked, confusion clearly written across his face. Ryan sighed and slumped down in the chair he’d sat down in next to Grayson.

“Lydia pretty much just threatened bodily harm on me if we didn’t go back to normal. I know her well enough to know that the threat was valid,” Ryan added as he looked up at Grayson, who looked appalled.

“She would do something like that?” Grayson asked. Ryan barked out a laugh and nodded.

“When I was eleven I witnessed her pull my dad across a set by his ear. He whimpered the entire way. If she could bring a thirty-nine year old to his knees back then, I fear what she could do now to us mere twenty year olds,” Ryan deadpanned as he looked over towards where Lydia was conversing with Josh. Grayson simply whistled and shook his head.

“Did your dad normally bring you to set with him?” Grayson asked. Ryan shrugged and shifted down the seat a bit more.

“If Papa was busy, yeah. I spent a lot of time on sets with him in middle and high school,” Ryan added. “I usually got recruited to be an extra in random scenes.”

“That explains how you really got into acting, then,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan hummed in agreement and then groaned when his phone started to vibrate with a call.

“What?” Ryan asked as soon as he answered.

“I wanted to have an actual conversation with you rather than a text conversation,” Lasey chirped. “Is that a crime?”

“Yes,” Ryan deadpanned.

“You’re such a rude, little piece of shit,” Lasey immediately chided. Ryan smiled to himself and chuckled.

“You’re such a saint, Lase. But in all seriousness, Grayson and I have an interview in a few minutes and I fear Lydia might rip my dick off if I make it get pushed back by any amount of time,” Ryan told her.

“Aw, but if she did that how would you fuck Grayson?” Lasey asked with an audible pout.

“ _Lasey Mariana_ ,” Ryan hissed as he glanced nervously at Grayson to ensure Grayson hadn’t somehow heard Lasey. Lasey cackled down the line and then took a deep, calming breath.

“You know you want to. I also know you probably also want to ride that nice, bearded face of his,” Lasey cooed. Ryan heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Lasey, dear god. Now is _not_ the time to bring up face sitting,” Ryan hissed out. Grayson whipped his head over to look at Ryan then with raised eyebrows. “God, put away your judgmental eyebrows, Grayson.”

“I will do whatever I please when you just made a statement like that!” Grayson squawked. Ryan quirked an eyebrow then as he inspected Grayson’s flushed face.

“Are you flustered because you’re now thinking about how great it is or because you’re a blushing virgin?” Ryan asked, Lasey giggling hysterically in his ear. Grayson’s blush immediately deepened and Ryan smiled widely with glee. “Aw! Grayson! I can’t believe it! You really are like a blushing virgin!”

“ _Ryan_ ,” Grayson complained as he looked around nervously. Ryan rolled his eyes and waved a hand in Grayson’s face.

“Lasey, I don’t know how I have come to befriend someone like this. You should see how red his face it. It’s like when you mention jacking off in front of Luca,” Ryan giggled. Lasey immediately began laughing even harder.

“This is where you have laid your affections, baby brother. You’re gonna have to enlighten him,” Lasey added a few seconds later.

“You’re absolutely terrible,” Ryan told her.

“I know, it keeps me awake at night,” Lasey sighed dramatically. “But seriously, face sitting. You know he’s got a good face for it.”

“And I’m hanging up now!” Ryan exclaimed before he pulled his phone away from his face in order to hit the end button, effectively cutting off Lasey’s manic giggles. Grayson looked at Ryan with a raised eyebrow and Ryan shook his head. “She was being inappropriate.”

“I would say so since you were talking about sitting on faces and mentioning masturbation to your twelve year old nephew,” Grayson commented. Ryan simply shrugged and slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Those are pretty normal conversations, actually. In our overlapping time at Westtown one of our regular activities was looking at pictures of male celebrities and talking about what we would do with them,” Ryan chirped. “Eric wasn’t a huge fan, but that didn’t stop us.”

“Eric?” Grayson asked. Ryan heaved a sigh and picked at the hem of his shirt slightly.

“My ex,” Ryan said quietly. Then, he smiled slightly. “Lasey was never a huge fan of him, anyway. I caught her threatening him once during freshman year of high school.”

“Ah. High school relationships always tend to be terrible,” Grayson commented.

“Yeah. Someone should’ve told me that before I wasted four and a half years with Eric,” Ryan sighed.

“ _Four and a half years_?” Grayson gasped. Ryan sneered slightly and nodded.

“All of high school and part of freshman year here,” Ryan added. “Not my smartest decision.”

“Boys! Up, up!” Lydia exclaimed before Grayson could question Ryan any further. Ryan simply smiled and rolled his eyes as he got up to strut towards Lydia. Lydia simply smiled and shook her head at Ryan before she turned her gaze to Grayson and quirked an eyebrow. Ryan looked at her and then back at Grayson, who was blushing. Lydia smiled and pat Grayson’s shoulder as she nudged them towards the table they were to sit at.

“How long is this gonna take?” Ryan asked as he flopped down into one of the chairs.

“Not too long. And sit up, you’re here for an interview, not a casual meeting,” Lydia chastised as she smacked Ryan on the head lightly. Ryan made a face at her but then sat up as Grayson sat down in the chair next to him. “Now, you be polite and _appropriate_.”

“Now, now, Lydia…” Ryan started as he blinked up at her. Lydia gave Ryan a hard stare and placed her hands on her hips.

“Don’t feign innocence. I’ve known you for too long. You’re still the same fifteen year old that walked around a set talking about your favorite sexual activities up to that date,” Lydia said. Grayson looked over at Ryan then with a _what the fuck_ expression.

“Fifteen?” Grayson asked in addition. Ryan smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.

“Ah-ah! Don’t fully answer that, Ryan Castellan!” Lydia scolded as she pointed at Ryan threateningly. Ryan looked up at her then with innocent eyes and Lydia flicked his nose. “I saw that expression on your face. I don’t need to hear anything else from what I already heard today when you were on the phone with Lasey. And you don’t need to make Grayson uncomfortable with your risqué activities from high school anymore than you already have.”

“God you’re lame,” Ryan sighed. Lydia smiled and hummed happily.

“I know, honey. Sorry that I like to keep you professional during interviews,” she added as she pat his cheek before she walked off primly. Grayson stared after her while Ryan shook his head to himself.

“Once again my downfall is someone knowing me for too long,” Ryan huffed. Grayson snorted and shook his head as he nudged Ryan’s side with his elbow. Ryan grunted stubbornly and nudged Grayson back. Grayson immediately stuck his tongue out at Ryan and pinched Ryan’s side in retaliation. Then, as Ryan went to reciprocate, the door opened and someone walked in. Ryan immediately hissed out a swear and settled back into his chair. Grayson looked at Ryan questioningly before doing the same.

“That’s Shelly Pristal. She is as pretentious as her last name suggests and she likes to try and stir people up,” Ryan whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “I’m gonna _kill_ whoever let her in.”

“Hello again, Ryan,” Shelly said with a wide smile as she settled down across the table from Ryan and Grayson. Ryan responded with a tight-lipped smile as he slouched down in his chair slightly. Shelly seemed to resist the urge to roll her eyes before turning to smile at Grayson. “And you must be Grayson Hartwell.”

“Yep, that’s me!” Grayson chirped. Ryan snorted and lightly kicked Grayson in the shin. Grayson glanced at Ryan out of the corner of his eye as he smirked. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. Shelly looked between them, but then rolled her eyes before she turned her full attention on Grayson.

“So, how did you come to hear about the audition for your part?” Shelly asked as she bat her eyelids. Grayson glanced at Ryan once again and Ryan quirked one eyebrow as if to say _I told you so_.

“Uh, I go to Swarthmore and near the end of first semester last year I saw some of the flyers in the theater building when I was in there for a project,” Grayson told her.

“Oh! So you both go to the same college!” Shelly chirped in interest as she looked between them. “Did you know each other previously, then?”

“No. Our majors don’t overlap at all,” Ryan replied in a deadpan.

“Yeah. Before this I’d only ever heard stories from one of Ryan’s roommates whom I share classes with. I didn’t know that she was talking about Ryan and Devin, though,” Grayson added as he shifted to lean his elbows on the table.

“Mmh. And I’ve heard you two have become quite close since you started filming for this movie,” Shelly commented as she watched both of them carefully. Ryan and Grayson exchanged a glance then before they both shrugged.

“I mean, yeah. We spend most days together. It’s kinda hard to not become friends,” Ryan replied. “That and all of our other friends are out of town for the summer.”

“Yeah. Ryan and his roommates are the only ones in town that I know, really,” Grayson added with another small shrug.

“Mmh,” Shelly sniffed. “Rumor mill also has it that you’ve met some of each other’s families.”

“Oh, yeah. My sister came into town this week and wanted to meet the people I’ve been hanging out with,” Grayson answered easily.

“Yeah. And Grayson’s mostly met my family because they visit. Dad came here one day to help with the piano, and then another day Jude brought Luca in so he could spend the weekend at my place. I also have the twins at my place right now for a visit,” Ryan said. “And it’s not like I’m not going to introduce my friends to my family. I just don’t actively seek it out because my family is one, really weird, and two, very overwhelming.”

“Agreed,” Grayson chuckled as he smiled at Ryan, who smiled back and rolled his eyes. Shelly hummed and looked between them again.

“The rumor mill has also been talking that you two may be dating. What do you have to say to that?” Shelly asked with great interest. Grayson immediately blushed while Ryan took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at Shelly.

“First off, we’re not dating. Second off, even if we were, that wouldn’t be _your_ business or the public’s business. It would be _our_ business,” Ryan ground out. Shelly raised one eyebrow at Ryan and tapped her pen against her pad of paper.

“The people are just interested, Ryan,” Shelly said innocently as she bat her eyelids. Ryan rolled his eyes and ignored Grayson fidgeting next to him.

“And the people should know by now that I don’t owe them anything. My personal life is _personal_ for a reason. Same goes for any person that is under public scrutiny. We like to keep some of our lives private,” Ryan shot back before he shoved up from his seat and stalked off, nose held high in the air. Shelly made a miffed sound from behind him and Ryan ignored her in favor of hunting down Lydia.

“Ryan, why are you not in your interview?” Lydia asked with wide eyes when he came into view. Ryan glared at her and took a deep breath.

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” he asked in response.

“Yes, I am,” Lydia replied with a hard stare.

“You’re really suggesting I go back in there and continue talking with Shelly Pristal?” Ryan asked angrily. Lydia’s gaze immediately hardened into anger.

“Who the fuck let that witch into my studio?” Lydia ground out as she stomped off, high-heels clicking menacingly down the hallway. Ryan smirked and immediately followed after her, wanting to see what happened.

When he got back to the room, Ryan was met with the scene of Lydia standing in front of Grayson and glaring down at Shelly. Shelly was smiling sweetly up at Lydia and batting her eyelids. Grayson simply looked overwhelmed and immediately darted over towards Ryan when they made eye contact. Ryan gave Grayson a reassuring smile and shifted to stand in front of Grayson.

“You know you’re not supposed to come anywhere near my actors, Ms. Pristal,” Lydia hissed out. “I don’t know how you managed to get through, but you need to leave.”

“But I have an hour interview set up,” Shelly contradicted.

“An interview that you wormed your way into like the slime you are. You are to leave my actors alone and you are not to harass them, as I’m sure you were,” Lydia barked out. “I had you banned from my sets for a reason.”

“There’s no need to get so touchy,” Shelly scoffed even as she started to gather her things.

“There is definitely a reason to get touchy when you dig into personal lives and into things that should never be exposed to the public!” Lydia screeched. “If it were up to me, you would be banned from any and all interviews. You have no right to be here and you need to leave!”

“What…?” Grayson started to ask, but Ryan shushed him. Grayson fell silent and shrank back behind Ryan when Shelly turned her gaze on him.

“Leave. _Now_ ,” Lydia hissed as she pointed angrily towards the door. Shelly rolled her eyes and then left in a flourish. Lydia heaved out a sigh then before she turned to Ryan, her gaze immediately softening. “Why didn’t you scream for me the second she walked in?”

“I can handle myself, Lydia. I’m not eighteen anymore,” Ryan told her. Lydia gave Ryan a look and walked over to place a hand on Ryan’s cheek.

“I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you should have to deal with her,” Lydia replied. “And you know she probably came here just to try and dig into Grayson.”

“She did,” Ryan huffed. “I didn’t let her dig in too deep, though.”

“That’s why you took over?” Grayson asked. Ryan turned quickly, expression hard.

“Yes. I know how Shelly works. I wasn’t going to let her dig into you and tear you apart,” Ryan said. “No one deserves what that foul woman does to people.”

“What happe-…?” Grayson started, only to get cut off by Josh who came bursting into the room.

“Ryan, you okay?” Josh asked frantically. Ryan sighed but allowed Josh to pull him into a tight hug.

“I’m fine, Josh,” Ryan breathed out. “Lydia came in and sent Umbridge on her way.”

“Good,” Josh sighed. “When I heard she was here I nearly went into a panic.”

“Everything’s fine. You guys need to stop worrying so much,” Ryan said. Josh simply grunted and shook his head as he held Ryan even tighter.

“I will fucking worry because the first time she met you she dug up extremely personal things about your life,” Josh hissed out. Ryan heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Things that were way more relevant back then. Everything’s fine now. _I’m_ fine now,” Ryan assured. Lydia and Josh exchanged skeptical looks.

“I talk to your sister, you know,” Lydia added.

“God, _I’m fine_ ,” Ryan hissed. “Can I just go home now? I have baby siblings waiting for me there.”

“Yeah, okay. Drive safe,” Lydia said as she walked over to place a hand on Ryan’s cheek while she kissed the other.

“You call if you need anything, okay?” Josh asked as he kissed Ryan’s temple. Ryan simply hummed in agreement before he separated from Josh and started to walk away. Grayson quickly followed after Ryan, nearly tripping over his own feet.

“Wha-what happened?” Grayson asked in confusion.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Ryan said as he continued towards his car. “Just know to avoid Shelly Pristal.”

“I, uh, gathered as much,” Grayson breathed. Ryan just nodded once as he burst through the back door of the building. He immediately climbed into the car, but Grayson stopped the door from closing. Grayson looked down at Ryan with a concerned expression. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine. I just want to get home, okay?” Ryan asked sharply. Grayson startled slightly and back away half a step. Ryan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I just really want to get home.”

“Okay. At least let me know you get home in one piece, all right?” Grayson asked. Ryan released a breath and gave Grayson a small smile.

“I promise,” Ryan replied as he reached out to squeeze Grayson’s hand. “Thanks for caring.”

“You’re my friend, of course I care,” Grayson replied, sounding slightly offended. Ryan smiled again and pulled his door shut before rolling the window down.

“I know. I’ll see you later,” Ryan said before he drove off, carefully keeping his mind blank until he got home.

“Hey, Ryan. You good?” Tracey asked from the front desk when Ryan walked into the building.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Ryan lied easily as he pressed the elevator button.

“Mkay,” Tracey replied skeptically. Ryan just shot her a small smile before he walked onto the elevator. Though, as soon as the doors closed, Ryan’s breathing sped up. He tried to take deep breaths, willing himself to keep it together until he got into his apartment.

“Devin?” Ryan called out shakily as soon as he closed the front door. There was immediately a crash that came from the direction of Devin’s room, quickly followed by a swear and Hestia tearing into the room to run up to Ryan’s side. Devin appeared a few seconds later, head poking out from behind the wall.

“I know that voice. That’s not a good voice,” Devin rushed out as he stared at Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan just stared back at Devin, bottom lip trembling. Devin swore and started to make his way towards Ryan.

“What’s going on?” Hayden asked as she appeared with Kyler perched on one hip and Avalon clinging to her leg. Ryan and Devin both ignored her as Devin finally reached Ryan and immediately took Ryan’s face into his hands.

“You’re fine. I promise you’re fine. It was two years ago. They’re not going to touch you,” Devin whispered out. Ryan heaved out a shaky breath and then collapsed into Devin’s arms as he began to sob. Devin immediately wrapped his arms around Ryan tightly and cooed into his ear. Hestia whimpered at their feet and nudged both of their legs with her nose.

“It’s n- _not_ fine,” Ryan finally coughed out. Devin shushed Ryan and rubbed his back, both of them ignoring Hayden as they heard her whispering to the twins to go back to her room.

“C’mon. Let’s go to your room and we’ll call your dads,” Devin said softly. Ryan just nodded and pulled away from Devin slightly to kick his shoes off. Devin pulled Ryan back to his side then and shot Hayden an apologetic glance as he led Ryan back to his room. Hestia darted ahead of them, making sure she was not to be left out.

Once they were in Ryan’s room and Devin shut the door, they both collapsed onto the bed. Devin grabbed his phone out of his pocket as Ryan curled up on the bed, head in Devin’s lap. Devin immediately thread his fingers through Ryan’s hair while Ryan continued to sob. Hestia leapt onto the bed then and wormed her way into Ryan’s arms before she licked his cheek once. Ryan held onto her tightly while Devin continued to run fingers through his hair.

“You want to tell me what happened before I call?” Devin asked softly.

“Sh-Shelly Pr-Pistal,” Ryan coughed out. Devin swore and then immediately dialed Riker and Jeff, making sure his phone was on speaker.

“Hey, Dev. What’s up?” Jeff chirped upon answering. Then, Jeff quickly made a concerned noise as he heard Ryan crying. “What happened? Riker! Come!”

“Can it wait? I’m literally elbow deep in paint for Avalon’s room!” Riker’s voice called out. Ryan whimpered then and Devin made another shushing noise.

“No, it cannot wait! Something happened with Ryan!” Jeff replied.

“I swear to god, if that guy did something to you I will castrate him,” Riker’s voice suddenly growled.

“N-not Grayson,” Ryan cried. Riker and Jeff both released sighs then.

“What now?” Lasey’s voice came. “Did Grayson do something to Ryan? _Do I need to kill him_?”

“No. Grayson’s not the problem, guys. It’s Shelly Pristal,” Devin said. Ryan coughed out a sob then and curled closer to Devin. Riker and Jeff both swore while Lasey hissed loudly.

“I thought Pristal wasn’t allowed in Lydia’s studios,” Lasey accused.

“She’s not,” Ryan coughed. “Ly-Lydia doesn’t know ho-how she got in.”

“I fucking swear I’m gonna find that bitch and murder her,” Lasey hissed out angrily.

“Lasey, you’re not helping,” Jeff ground out. Lasey made a stubborn noise and then yelped.

“Don’t pinch me!” she screeched.

“You two, _honestly_!” Riker exclaimed. “Ry, honey, did she do anything?”

“She was trying to dig into Grayson, mostly,” Ryan answered as he wiped at his cheeks while Devin continued to run his fingers through Ryan’s hair. “Just…it brought everything back.”

“Oh, baby boy. This isn’t two years ago. You’ve come so far and you’ve done such a good job putting all of that crap behind you,” Jeff cooed. “I know from plenty of experience that saying that doesn’t help much, but I have to say it anyway.”

“Shut up,” Riker immediately grumbled. “Do you want us to come out there, bud?”

“N-no,” Ryan sniffed. “T-talking is good.”

“I’m fucking coming out there,” Lasey stated.

“You have to do that anyway in a few days to get the twins,” Devin said as he shifted slightly.

“Shut up,” Lasey retorted.

“Honestly,” Riker and Jeff breathed.

“Ry, are you sure you will be okay if we don’t come out there?” Jeff asked.

“Yeah. I have Devin and Hestia. Can you sing, though?” Ryan asked in response.

“Of course, baby boy,” Riker crooned.

“Thanks,” Ryan sniffed.

“We love you, okay?” Jeff cooed.

“Yeah. Love you too,” Ryan replied as he coughed again. Devin simply allowed Ryan to shift into a more comfortable position as Riker and Jeff began to sing [Not](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZiorShWnM0) [Alone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRgUCL39hxg)9 down the line. Ryan heaved out a sigh as he listened, comforted by the singing as well as Devin’s fingers in his hair. Hestia licked Ryan’s cheeks again and Ryan settled further into his bed as he slowly fell into unconsciousness while Riker and Jeff sang.

000000

“C’mon, Ry. Up, up!” Devin grunted the next morning as he shoved at Ryan. “I know you’re feeling like shit, and I ain’t gonna try and convince you everything is fucking _fine and dandy_ , but you need to shower.”

Ryan groaned in response and buried his face in his blankets. Devin heaved out a sigh and then shoved Ryan’s shoulder.

“Seriously, dude. Shower. You’ll feel better after you do. I’ll dig out your Toothless onesie and put it out,” Devin said as he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan peeked up at Devin then and Devin smiled widely. “I ain’t finding it unless you get your ass out of bed.”

“I hate you,” Ryan grumbled. Devin huffed out small laugh and shoved at Ryan again. “I hate you so much. You hide my favorite piece of clothing and bribe me with it.”

“Because you wore it to class, Ryan! Wearing a Toothless onesie to class is not socially acceptable!” Devin cried out. Ryan kicked at Devin but then shoved up from his bed. Hestia perked up in interest and immediately darted into the bathroom to take up her spot on Ryan’s bathmat.

“Fuck off,” Ryan grunted as he walked into the bathroom, already pulling off his clothes. Devin snorted and then left Ryan’s room.

“Hayds! Get out the onesie!” Devin called out.

“Ugh, _fine_ ,” Hayden huffed out.

“I hate you both!” Ryan exclaimed as he turned on the shower.

“Tha’s mean, Ryan!” Kyler squeaked as Ryan heard Kyler run into his room. Kyler poked his head into the bathroom then and smiled up at Ryan. “Happy now?”

“Doin’ better,” Ryan replied as he ruffled Kyler’s hair. “Now go get lunch with Avalon.”

“Kay!” Kyler squeaked before he darted off, calling out for Avalon. Ryan shook his head and then climbed into the shower. Hestia released a groan as she stretched out on the bathmat happily, limbs splayed out. Ryan smiled slightly at her but then turned to press his forehead against the wall of the shower.

“Your terrible piece of clothing is on your bed, Ry,” Devin said a few minutes later.

“Thanks,” Ryan replied.

“Stop thinking about it, dude. Just shower and then change. We’ll just hang out and watch movies, and yes, I realize that means we’re watching Spectacular,” Devin sighed.

“You’re the best,” Ryan said. Devin poked his head into the bathroom them and smiled widely.

“I know,” Devin added before he darted away. Ryan rolled his eyes and then leaned back against the wall.

“Everything’s a mess, Hesty,” Ryan breathed. Hestia made a small noise in response, but didn’t move from her spot in the middle of the floor. A few minutes later, Ryan heard the front door open and then close, followed by the sound of someone kicking off their shoes.

“Ry’s in his room…and no, Avalon, you cannot have ice cream for lunch,” Devin’s voice came.

“Ice cream!” Avalon screeched in response. Ryan smiled slightly, forehead still pressed to the wall.

“Hey, Ryan. They told me to come…oh, oh shit! Sorry!” Grayson’s voice suddenly yelped before there was a thump. Ryan turned then with wide eyes to see Grayson’s limbs splayed out on the floor outside the bathroom door. Ryan quickly turned off the shower and grabbed a towel before crawling across the floor to Grayson. Grayson peeked up at Ryan as his chest heaved with pants.

“You okay?” Ryan asked. “That sound like it hurt.”

Grayson stared up at Ryan with disbelieving eyes. Ryan stared back down at Grayson with a confused expression while Hestia walked over to lick Grayson’s cheek once before starting to lick water off of Ryan’s chest.  Devin poked his head into the room then and flourished a hand in Grayson’s direction.

“Dude, what the hell? I said to get Ryan, not fall on your ass,” Devin scoffed. Grayson sat up and looked at Devin in disbelief then.

“Dude! [He was in the shower](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/121634623819/sterekisendgameposts-sneak-peak-at-season-5)!” Grayson squawked as he waved his hands in Ryan’s direction. Ryan stared in confusion from where he was sitting on the floor in a towel with Hestia licking water off of his body.

“Yeah, so?” Devin asked with a shrug.

“Guys, what the crap? The twins might actually tear something down if we don’t eat and watch a movie soon,” Hayden said as she walked up behind Devin. “Y’all made me dig out that fuckin’ atrocity and now you’re just sitting on the floor!”

“What the hell? He’s naked!” Grayson finally exclaimed with a flourish of his hands.

“Oh. Oh shit,” Devin said with wide eyes. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Dude, me either,” Hayden giggled. Grayson looked between them in disbelief.

“Are you telling me that none of you care about nudity?” Grayson asked. Devin, Hayden, and Ryan all snorted with laughter.

“God, no. Ryan and I have known each other way too long,” Devin scoffed.

“We all pretty much lost shame after we moved into this apartment. We rarely close bathroom doors. Even Lowell doesn’t care anymore,” Hayden added. “Sorry we didn’t think about it. Now, c’mon. Let’s go get food and a movie set up while Ryan gets dressed.”

“God, you guys are weird,” Grayson huffed out as he shook his head and got up.

“We know,” Devin replied as he followed Hayden and Grayson out of Ryan’s room. Hestia gave Ryan’s shoulder one last lick and then bound after them, tail in the air.  Ryan smiled slightly as he watched her go and then got up to pull on a pair of underwear before he pulled on his Toothless onesie.

“Better now?” Avalon squeaked as she bound up to Ryan when he walked into the hallway. Ryan huffed out a breath as he scooped her up and continued walking.

“Getting there,” he added as he kissed her cheek. She simply hummed and settled into Ryan’s arms.

“God, I forgot how ridiculous you look in that,” Hayden giggled as Ryan walked into the living room. Ryan huffed at her and simply pulled the hood up and over his eyes.

“No make fun,” Kyler defended stubbornly as he glared up at Hayden. “No more sad Ryan.”

“Yes, no more sad Ryan,” Devin agreed as he swooped Kyler up off the floor. “I think we’re lucky your daddy and papa didn’t drive out here last night, huh?”

“Yeah,” Kyler sighed in agreement. “Lasey very angry.”

“Lasey’s always angry, though,” Devin chuckled as he sat down with Kyler in his lap. Kyler giggled and nodded in agreement. Ryan smiled slightly as he sat down as well, hugging Avalon to his chest. Avalon sighed happily as she cuddled up to him in content.

“Grayson, prepare thyself for one of the worst movies of your life,” Hayden breathed as she walked into the living room from the kitchen with plates of food.

“Shut up,” Ryan grumbled. “It’s the Castellan cheer up movie.”

“Pretty much,” Devin agreed.

“What movie is it?” Grayson asked as he sat down next to Ryan.

“Spectacular10! It’s a musical Nickelodeon produced in competition with Disney Channel during the time of High School Musical,” Ryan answered as he leaned into Grayson’s side. “Blame Papa for every Castellan child’s love for this movie.”

“Accurate statement,” Devin chirped as he slumped down with Kyler still in his lap. Avalon giggled happily and then bounced out of Ryan’s lap to grab the plate of food Hayden was holding out for her.

“Just start the movie,” Hayden sighed heavily as she settled into her chair with Avalon now in her lap. Devin flipped her off but then obeyed. Ryan released a long sigh as the opening credits started and leaned further into Grayson’s side. Grayson hummed and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders tightly.

“You sure you’re okay?” Grayson asked in a whisper as he rested his chin lightly on Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan glanced back at Grayson and smiled slightly.

“I’ll be okay,” Ryan whispered in response. “Just had a lot of unpleasant memories shoved on me yesterday.”

“Mmh, okay. As long as you’re doing better,” Grayson breathed as he shifted in order to pull Ryan against his chest. Ryan hummed in response and easily settled against Grayson, the hood of his onesie falling forward over his face. Grayson chuckled and pulled the hood back slightly from Ryan’s face. Ryan smiled and scrunched his nose at Grayson.

“Thanks,” Ryan added.

“Don’t want you to miss your movie,” Grayson chuckled in response as he squeezed Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan shook his head slightly.

“No. Thanks for being here and being a good friend and not asking questions,” Ryan said as he looked back at Grayson, who smiled and pinched Ryan’s side lightly.

“No problem. And I’m not gonna ask questions I know I’m not going to get the answers to at this point in time. I trust you’ll tell me when you feel it’s right,” Grayson assured. Ryan stared at Grayson in disbelief then, eyes darting around Grayson’s face. Grayson simply smiled and squeezed Ryan’s shoulders again. Ryan made a small noise then and burrowed even further into Grayson’s embrace. Grayson just tightened his embrace, chin rested lightly on top of Ryan’s head, both of them easily missing the small, knowing smiles that Devin and Hayden were exchanging.

000000

Later that night found the twins both curled up in Ryan’s bed while Ryan, Hayden, Devin, and Grayson continued to watch movies out in the living room. Hayden and Devin were both sprawled across the couch, kicking each other and giggling. Grayson was still on the loveseat, smiling and shaking his head at them. Ryan was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, watching them all with a small smile on his face. He picked up his phone then and looked down at it where it was opened to the thread of conversation Ryan had going with Lasey. He had texted her earlier with a simple _Things are hard_. She had immediately replied with _what happened_? and Ryan was trying to formulate his response.

Ryan looked up then, just in time to see Grayson chuckle and then launch himself at Hayden, who squawked out a giggle and then hugged Grayson tightly with her entire body. Ryan smiled as he watched them, but then turned back to his phone. He huffed out a breath and then sent Lasey a picture he had taken of himself and Grayson earlier. In it, Ryan had the hood of his Toothless onesie pulled over his face, only a small smile visible. Grayson was smiling widely with his chin rested on Ryan’s shoulder, one eye closed. Once the picture sent, Ryan began to type.

 _It’s all hard, Lase. Today I realized I could fall in love with Grayson. He’s sweet, caring, and extremely respectful. He helps with the twins and clearly adores them, and they adore him back. He witnessed me nearly rage out yesterday and didn’t even ask a single question today other than “are you okay”. He told me he trusts me to tell him what happened in time, and no one ever says anything like that. He totally accepted me in this damn Toothless onesie (which Hayden and Devin hide from me because they’re terrible people) and he didn’t bat an eye before he pulled me close to comfort me. He didn’t complain ONCE during Spectacular, even though we both know it’s an absolutely terrible movie. I just don’t know how to handle all of this. How am I supposed to deal with this? I don’t want to fall for someone who might leave_.

Ryan heaved out a breath as he hit send and looked back over to see that Devin and piled on top of Grayson and Hayden while they all laughed. Ryan smiled slightly and then startled as his phone started to vibrate.

“Ry, oh my god,” Lasey heaved as soon as Ryan picked up.

“Hold on,” Ryan told her as he slid off of the counter.

“No! You send me something like that and we need to talk about it right now!” Lasey exclaimed.

“I just meant _let me leave the apartment_ , god,” Ryan told her as he walked towards the back doors. Hayden watched him and Ryan waved a hand in her direction before he darted out onto the patio, Hestia slipping out ahead of him.

“Oh, okay,” Lasey breathed. “Are we safe now?”

“Yes. I’m out on the patio,” Ryan told her.

“Good,” Lasey hummed. “But honestly, talk to me.”

“I am talking to you,” Ryan said.

“Tone the sass down. You know what I mean,” Lasey growled. Ryan sighed and curled up on a chair.

“I know. I just really don’t know how to deal with it,” Ryan whispered. Lasey cooed and Ryan could tell she was pouting.

“Ryan, you know this isn’t going to be like last time, right?” Lasey asked. “From what I’ve heard from you _and_ Devin, this guy is really nice. I don’t think he intends to hurt you in any way.”

“Eric didn’t either,” Ryan countered.

“Eric was always a fucking dick and I never liked him,” Lasey hissed in a hard tone. “My verdict is obviously still out on this Grayson guy since I haven’t officially met him, but Devin said that he is practically the opposite of Eric. I mean, he already spends nights with you and cuddles.”

“I know,” Ryan breathed out as he rubbed at his nose, ignoring Hestia as she nudged his foot with her nose. “I just don’t know how to deal with all of this, Lasey. I’m afraid of fucking things up. I’m afraid of what will happen to me if I do fuck things up.”

“Shut the fuck up. You didn’t fuck anything up with Eric. _He_ fucked it up and he fucked you over. You did absolutely _nothing_ to deserve what that ass-hat did to you, okay? You were the victim. Don’t blame yourself. Blame Eric,” Lasey stated, effectively cutting Ryan off. “Stop thinking that is going to happen again, because we will all make sure it won’t. Don’t prevent yourself from being happy, Ry. If you think you could fall in love with this guy, let yourself.”

“But why would he ever love me back?” Ryan asked as he began to cry. “He’s so perfect and I’m just some kid who got fucked over by my high school boyfriend and did a lot of stupid shit.”

“For one, no one is perfect. Two, it sounds like this guy is looking passed your faults. He cuddled you while you wore your Toothless onesie and watched our family’s shitty comfort movie with you all without complaining. I don’t think he would drop you on your ass because some asshole shit all over you back when you were eighteen,” Lasey told Ryan. Ryan sniffed and coughed out a small laugh. “That and you said the twins like him. Even as babies they hated Eric. Trust the beany instincts, baby brother.”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Ryan said as he wiped at his cheeks.

“Says the one sitting in a Toothless onesie,” Lasey chirped.

“Shut up,” Ryan grumbled as Lasey giggled.

“I love you, little brother. Try to stop being your own biggest enemy,” Lasey hummed. Ryan rolled his eyes and wiped at his cheeks once more before reaching out to pet Hestia’s ears.

“Yeah, yeah. You can stop playing therapist now,” Ryan told her. Lasey scoffed into his ear.

“Firstly, it’s not playing when I’m getting my PhD. Secondly, I will never be done because I am your older sister. It’s in the older sister bylaws,” Lasey sniffed. Ryan chuckled and shook his head.

“If that’s what helps you live with yourself,” Ryan told her.

“You’re so ungrateful,” Lasey said in a miffed tone.

“I love you,” Ryan told her.

“I love you too,” Lasey hummed.

“Oi, Ryan,” Lowell’s voice suddenly chirped. Ryan turned to see Lowell standing out of the patio door with a bottle of vodka in his hand.

“Oh, you are a godsend, you of-age Brit,” Ryan sighed happily as he reached out for the bottle. Lowell chuckled and handed the bottle to Ryan.

“That one is yours. I was told you needed one to yourself,” Lowell added. Ryan groaned happily as he hugged the bottle to his chest.

“I could _kiss_ you,” Ryan breathed.

“Only after a few shots,” Lowell said before he darted back into the apartment. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he unfolded himself from the chair.

“I have to go, Lase. Lowell just showed up with vodka and I got my own bottle,” Ryan chirped.

“Okay. Be safe and remember that the twins are with you,” Lasey said.

“Mhm. I love you and I’ll see you when you come to get the twins,” Ryan replied.

“Love you too,” Lasey hummed before she hung up. Ryan just smiled and darted back into the apartment with Hestia, still hugging his bottle of vodka to his chest.

“You realize I am not letting you drink that entire bottle tonight, right?” Hayden immediately asked. Ryan gave her a deadpan look before he opened the bottle and took a mouthful. Grayson stared with wide eyes while Devin released an excited bugle.

“Yes, I do realize that,” Ryan added after he swallowed. “Doesn’t mean I’m not getting drunk.”

“Didn’t say I wasn’t going to let you get drunk,” Hayden said with a shrug as she accepted a shot from Lowell.

“That would just be rude if you didn’t let him,” Devin chuckled as he took his own shot and immediately downed it. Ryan just smiled and saluted Devin with his bottle before he took another swig.

“You realize your younger siblings are here, right?” Grayson asked.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to remain rational,” Lowell assured as he handed Grayson a shot. Grayson eyed it and then accepted it cautiously.

“C’mon, dude. Live a little,” Ryan said as he threw his arms open. Hayden giggled and took a second shot before she got up to pat Ryan’s stomach Ryan laughed and ruffled her hair in retaliation.

“Seriously, man. I kinda want to see you drunk,” Devin said as he slung an arm around Grayson’s shoulder. “I mean, I am in no way going to pressure you to actually get drunk. That would be fucked up. But having alcohol in your system may help you deal with what is going to happen.”

“Why? What is going to happen?” Grayson asked with wide eyes. Devin chuckled and pat Grayson’s chest lightly before he pointed over at Ryan.

“Alcohol affects his system real quick. He’s in no way a lightweight, but he gets weird real fast11,” Devin replied. Ryan sent a predatory smile in Devin’s direction then and Devin smiled as he rolled his eyes. “That’s exactly what I mean. He’s had the equivalent of just over three shots and he’s already giving me creepy smiles.”

“It’s because I love you,” Ryan said with a small tilt of his head.

“Love you too, bro,” Devin replied as he took another shot and then jumped over the back of the couch.

“Seriously, man. Having a few shots will help you deal with how Ryan is going to get,” Lowell said as he pat Grayson’s shoulder. “You also need to brace yourself as someone who finds Ryan attractive.”

Grayson immediately began to splutter, but Lowell just chuckled and walked off to hand Hayden another shot. Ryan just giggled and planted a loud kiss on Lowell’s cheek.

“I love you, Lowell. Thank you for buying me vodka. It will last me a while,” Ryan said as he took one last swig before closing the bottle and placing it on the table.

“Love you too, man,” Lowell replied as he pat Ryan on the back. “Try not to break anything this time.”

“That was actually my fault. We all know at this point not to break Ry’s concentration when drunk choreographing,” Devin chuckled.

“True,” Hayden agreed as she bounced over to Grayson and smiled. “C’mon. Stop looking so scared. Nothing bad is going to happen. I mean, Ryan might want to move furniture, but that’s about it.”

“Move furniture?” Grayson asked before he quickly downed his shot.

“Yeah! We have to make room for dancing,” Ryan chirped as he unzipped half of his onesie to let the top half fall around his waist. “You don’t even want to know how many choreography assignments I’ve come up with while drunk.”

“Yeah, because you truly take after Riker, speaking he used to compose in high school while drunk,” Devin snorted. Ryan smiled and nodded as he pointed over at Devin.

“Your dad composed in high school?” Grayson asked in shock. Ryan looked over with a wide smile.

“Yeah! He said it was great to compose while drunk, but he only got to do that for, like, a year and a half,” Ryan answered. “After that he got put back on medications and couldn’t drink anymore.”

“That sucks,” Grayson commented. Ryan hummed in agreement before he walked over to move the coffee table out of the way. Lowell immediately jumped over to help so they could pick the table up and move it easier.

“To what music are we dancing to tonight, Sir Castellan?” Devin asked as he ambled over to the speakers where Ryan’s iPod was hooked up.

“Marianas Trench,” Ryan replied as he and Lowell set the table down.

“I expected nothing less,” Devin breathed as he turned the music on. Hayden giggled and skipped over to jump onto Lowell’s back. Lowell smiled and shook his head slightly as he looped his hands beneath Hayden’s thighs.

“I will go down with Marianas Trench,” Ryan hissed out as he bounced slightly in place, Hestia running around his feet happily.

“While you’re sitting in a tiny room waiting for dawn?” Hayden asked innocently. Ryan looked over at her with a sparkle in his eye.

“It should be breaking soon,” Ryan sang in response. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes as he clicked on [Wildfire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-lMLo11TUc). Ryan giggled happily and then settled to take a few deep breaths.

“Oo, he’s getting into the zone,” Hayden chirped as Grayson watched in confusion.

“Mhm,” Devin hummed in agreement as he dropped onto the couch next to Grayson.

“Wait, what is happening?” Grayson asked as he looked between Hayden, Lowell, and Devin.

“He likes to get into a certain headspace. It’s better not to disturb him until he comes back out,” Lowell answered as he deposited himself and Hayden onto the loveseat.

“How do you know when he comes out?” Grayson asked as they watched Ryan breathe deeply.

“He usually breaks into a wide grin and starts giggling,” Hayden chirped as she cuddled up to Lowell’s side. Devin grunted in agreement and then smiled when Ryan looked up with a small smile. Hayden smiled as well and began to sing along quietly with the song while Ryan began to dance. Devin quickly picked up the pattern Ryan had set and jumped up in order to join Ryan. Grayson simply gaped in wonder, slouched down on the couch.

“I told you that you should have drank more, chap,” Lowell chuckled. Grayson shot a glare in Lowell’s direction while Hayden snorted.

“I think it’s more that he’s never seen Ryan dance rather than him being fixated on Ryan’s hips,” Hayden added. “I mean, Ryan hasn’t even done any hip rolls yet.”

“Hip rolls?” Grayson squeaked, causing both Lowell and Hayden to laugh while Devin looked over at Grayson with a smirk.

“They always make an appearance. I’ve witnessed many a guy become enraptured at the sight,” Devin informed Grayson. “It’s a talent that I, unfortunately, know he shares with Riker.”

“I mean, yeah. Have you seen Riker and Jeff’s old Midnight Swallows videos?” Hayden giggled. “It’s not surprising that Jeff praises Riker on a regular basis.”

“Ugh, shut up. They’re basically my second parents,” Devin groaned as he and Ryan continued to dance.

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Grayson breathed.

“Oh, you’ll want to know when you see those hips roll,” Lowell chuckled as he looked over at Grayson to wink.

“Mmh, true,” Hayden breathed out while Grayson blushed. “It’s no wonder he has guys panting after him after every dance class.”

“Wonderfully put, my love,” Lowell praised her. Hayden preened and leaned over to kiss Lowell’s neck. Grayson just shook his head as he turned his attention back towards Ryan and Devin.

Ryan had a look of concentration on his face, barely seeming to notice Devin following his lead. Then, Ryan easily turned to Devin and grabbed onto one of Devin’s shoulders as he began to roll his hips.

“Ah, _there it is_ ,” Hayden giggled. Grayson simply stared, completely fixated. Lowell chuckled and whispered to Hayden, who looked over at Grayson and snorted. Devin looked over at Grayson as well and quirked one eyebrow.

“Just so you know, this talent he’s got going here _does_ extend to his bedroom abilities,” Devin laughed as he indicated towards Ryan, who snorted and tipped his head back slightly.

“Why else do you think Eric _begged_ for it?” Ryan quipped. Devin barked out a laugh and threw his head back. Hayden and Lowell both smiled and shook their heads while Grayson continued to stare in winder.

“Dude, I know,” Devin chuckled.

“Come _on_ , Ryan. _Please_. I want you _so bad_. _Please fuck me_. Ryan, _please_!” Ryan imitated in a high-pitched moan. “God, it was so satisfying to make him beg.”

“I bet,” Hayden hummed as she and Lowell tangled their legs together.

“There’s just something so _great_ about it. Like, you know you’ve really got ‘em by the balls when they beg without even forming real words,” Ryan said with a satisfied smirk. “No matter what he did, I still have _that_ over him.”

“Yeah you do, buddy,” Devin chuckled as he pulled Ryan into a hug. Grayson just stared around all of them with furrowed brows.

“You guys are seriously _so weird_ ,” Grayson finally breathed. Ryan turned his gaze to Grayson then and tilted his head, ignoring the bright flush that spread across Grayson’s face.

“If you’re just figuring this out, you’re the weird one,” Ryan chirped before he went back to dancing.

“That’s a valid point,” Devin agreed with a chuckle. “Plus, this is one of the _tamer_ sex conversations that has happened while Ryan is drunk.”

“Yeah, there was the time he made Josiah nearly come in his pants,” Hayden commented airily.

“ _What_?” Grayson gasped. “Like, Josiah from our art classes Josiah?”

“Yeah. He’s in theater classes with Ryan. He hung out with us once and Ryan went into a whole spiel about begging and imitated his ex, which you just witnessed he’s great at,” Hayden replied.

“That and Ry was wearing practically nothing at the time,” Devin said. “Halloween is always a wild time.”

“Yep,” Lowell agreed. Ryan smiled over at all of them then and began to giggle.

“Ah, welcome back, bud!” Devin bugled as he threw his hands into the air.

“Don’t be an idiot. We all know I’m still fully conscious while in that state,” Ryan chuckled.

“Yeah, doesn’t mean you necessarily remember it the next day,” Lowell said. Ryan shrugged and then collapsed onto the floor. Hestia immediately bound over and wormed her way into Ryan’s lap.

“It’s because I kind-of shut down my brain. Like, I’m still lucid but the memories don’t get stored,” Ryan said as he hugged Hestia and then ruffled her ears.

“God, you’re so weird,” Grayson breathed.

“Says the one who blushed over the mention of face sitting the other day,” Ryan shot back.

“Dude!” Devin immediately squawked as he looked over at Grayson with wide eyes.

“Oh my god,” Hayden giggled.

“Wait, why did that even come up?” Lowell asked as he waved his arms around.

“I was on the phone with Lasey,” Ryan replied.

“Oh. That explains it,” Lowell breathed as he sank back into the couch.

“Are you saying that you all have had multiple conversations about face sitting together?” Grayson asked. Lowell, Hayden, Devin, and Ryan all exchanged a look and then turned back to Grayson to nod.

“God yeah. It is one of the most popular sex topics,” Devin said.

“You’re dating his sister!” Grayson squeaked as he flourished a hand between Devin and Ryan. They both shrugged.

“Ryan and Lasey usually start the conversation, to be honest,” Hayden hummed. “There was literally one night where we were all lying on the floor here and Lasey started ranting about how much she wanted to sit on Devin’s face. As Devin wasn’t here at the time, it just sparked an entire conversation about the topic.”

“Missed opportunity,” Devin sighed sadly.

“Dude, don’t even get all wistful. Do you even _know_ how long it’s been?” Ryan squawked.

“About two years, man,” Devin immediately answered. Ryan threw his arms up into the air dramatically before dropping them to his sides.

“And it’s a fucking tragedy!” Ryan exclaimed. “Like, ugh. I don’t even necessarily care about sitting on someone’s face, _I want someone to sit on mine_.”

“And this is where I tell you that you’re definitely not allowed to drink anymore tonight, love,” Lowell said.

“I know. I know that once I realize my filter is gone I’m not allowed to drink anymore,” Ryan sighed. “I can’t even blame this lack of filter on Papa since we’re not genetically linked.”

“Nah, I heard Riker used to lose his a bit while drunk too,” Devin commented. “Just not as bad as Jeff. You’re just on the Jeff level right now because you want to talk about sex.”

“Yeah! Because I miss it!” Ryan pouted.

“That’s what your hand is for, honey,” Hayden giggled. Ryan shot a glare in her direction.

“We both know I am not talking about my own orgasms,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Yeah. We all know how much he misses sucking dick,” Devin chuckled.

“Because I’m good at it!” Ryan defended with a pout. Lowell chuckled and shook his head while Hayden shook her head.

“Here’s your official welcome to our group, Grayson,” Hayden added as she looked over at a shocked Grayson.

“You’re telling me,” Grayson breathed. Devin barked out a laugh and clapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“Just be glad he’s not further gone than this. We’ve literally listened to him go into _detail_ ,” Devin said. “And I’m just not sure you could personally handle that.”

“God, you’re an asshole,” Grayson hissed as he crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. Devin cackled and ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“Again, this is why I advised you drink some,” Lowell laughed as he smirked over at Grayson. “I’ve witnessed plenty of times how guys get around Ryan when he’s drunk.”

“More like the effect a drunk Ryan has on said guys,” Hayden corrected as she tapped Lowell’s cheek.

“Because they’re all horny bastards,” Ryan said matter-of-factly. “Just because I talk about it doesn’t mean I’m gonna jump them.”

“We know, boo,” Hayden cooed. Ryan made a face at her and scrunched up his nose. “Don’t give me that look. I know how you are. I also know who you would _like_ to jump even though you won’t.”

“Ugh, just talk to Lasey about it and don’t mention it to me ever again,” Ryan groaned dramatically.

“You can guarantee I will talk to your sister, but I cannot guarantee the never mentioning it to you,” Hayden replied. Ryan stuck his tongue out at her and then flopped back onto the rug. Hestia released a happy noise and wiggled around to lie across Ryan’s chest.

“Everyone just leave me alone so I can sleep,” Ryan stated.

“You sleeping on the floor, bro?” Devin asked as he reached out to kick at Ryan’s foot.

“Yep,” Ryan replied. “Grayson can have my bed and I’ll just sleep on the floor with Hestia. She is the only love I need.”

“God, you’re dramatic tonight,” Lowell chuckled.

“Yep,” Ryan agreed. “You provided me with alcohol after I had a deep conversation about feelings and revelations with Lasey, who went all therapist on me.”

“Oo, that means I’m getting good, juicy information later,” Devin giggled happily. Ryan simply hummed in agreement as he pet Hestia’s ears.

“God, I just wish summer was over. I mean, I don’t want classes to start but I need things to do. We’re basically done shooting the movie and I need _activity_ ,” Ryan complained.

“We’ll go running in the mornings again,” Hayden assured Ryan, who made a happy noise in agreement.

“Ugh, that means I have to go back to bringing Hestia out on her morning walks,” Devin complained.

“Yep, because you’re a lazy ass,” Ryan chuckled. Lowell smiled and shook his head slightly.

“You’re all so weird,” Grayson breathed out.

“We know,” all three of them replied as they smiled over at Grayson. Grayson just shook his head at them and then got up to stretch his arms above his head. Ryan smirked as he watched, eyes drawn to Grayson’s abdomen. Grayson noticed and blushed under Ryan’s gaze as he quickly lowered his arms.

“Aw, but I was enjoying the view,” Ryan complained. Grayson looked down at Ryan seriously. Ryan just beamed up at Grayson and easily placed a hand on his own abdomen. “Everyone knows how I appreciate a good happy trail.”

“Oh god,” Devin immediately groaned.

“Nope. I’m out,” Lowell chirped as he darted up from the couch and went towards Hayden’s room. Hayden giggled and watched Lowell go before she looked over at Grayson.

“We probably should have warned you about that,” she added. “But if you leave now you won’t have to listen to him.”

“Then I shall take my leave,” Grayson squeaked as he darted towards Ryan’s room. Devin and Hayden both exchanged a knowing smirk while Ryan sighed dramatically.

“Oh, stop pouting. C’mon. We’ll go crash in my bed so you don’t make Grayson feel any more awkward tonight,” Devin said as he nudged Hestia off of Ryan and then hauled Ryan up from the floor.

“Can we watch Gravity Falls?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, we’ll watch some Gravity Falls,” Devin chuckled as he maneuvered himself and Ryan to his room with Hestia on their heels.

“Drink some water before you fall asleep,” Hayden told them both as she went into her own room and shut the door. Ryan and Devin both made noises in agreement before they shut Devin’s door. Ryan immediately climbed into Devin’s bed, closely followed by Hestia. Devin grabbed two bottles of water from the package on top of his dresser and then sat down next to Ryan.

“What season?” Devin asked as he grabbed his laptop.

“Beginning,” Ryan replied as he leaned into Devin’s side, head rested on Devin’s shoulder. Devin simply hummed and pulled up the first episode before settling back against Ryan while they both sipped at their water and turned their attention to Devin’s laptop.

000000

“Okay, let me at ‘im!” Lasey exclaimed as she burst into Ryan’s apartment the next day. Kyler, Avalon, and Ryan didn’t even look up while Lowell startled slightly and Hayden simply turned to look at Lasey.

“At whom?” Ryan asked, attention still on his computer.

“You know perfectly well that I am talking about this Grayson kid,” Lasey replied. Ryan looked up then and raised one eyebrow at Lasey.

“One, that’s how you would want your first impression to go? Two, he went home this morning. Practically ran out of here with his tail between his legs,” Ryan told her.

“That’s because you imitated Eric begging, went on to talk about face sitting, and then ogled his abdomen,” Hayden said in a bored voice.

“Ah, that about explains it. Though, I do not recall imitating Eric,” Ryan said.

“You were in your dance mind frame,” Lowell informed Ryan in a bored voice.

“And that explains _that_ ,” Ryan chuckled as Lasey heaved out a sigh and walked over to collapse onto the couch next to Ryan. Ryan smiled and leaned over to blow a kiss against her cheek. Lasey scoffed and shoved at Ryan’s face while the twins giggled.

“I thought Grayson just always hung out here,” Lasey said in a miffed voice.

“No. He goes home most days,” Ryan told her.

“Correction, he goes home on the days they have set the next day,” Hayden countered as she shoved up from the bay window where she had been sitting with Lowell. Lasey smiled widely then and looked over at Ryan with excited eyes.

“God, you just reeled him in without even trying, didn’t ya?” Lasey asked.

“No!” Ryan yelped.

“Yes,” Hayden added with a roll of her eyes. “They’re both ridiculous and refuse to make any moves. It’s tiring.”

“Well, I understand why Ryan hasn’t. But I can’t yet speak for Grayson,” Lasey chirped. Ryan gave Lasey a hard stare.

“You are not to evaluate him psychologically the first time you meet him. That is terrible etiquette, Lasey,” Ryan told her. Lasey heaved out a sigh and sprawled out dramatically.

“You take away all of my fun, little brother,” she sighed.

“I know,” Ryan replied with a smile as he leaned over to kiss her cheek again. Kyler looked up at Lasey then and smiled.

“I like Grayson,” Kyler told her. “Very nice.”

“Yeah. He look at Ryan like Papa look at Daddy,” Avalon tacked on enthusiastically. Lasey smiled and leaned forward to get closer to the twins while Ryan just stared with wide eyes.

“Oh yeah?” Lasey asked. Avalon and Kyler both nodded while they giggled and scooted closer to Lasey’s feet.

“Yeah. And he help take care of Ryan when Ryan was sad,” Kyler said matter-of-factly.

“Mhm. Lots of cuddles,” Avalon chirped. “Just like Daddy and Papa when Daddy sad.”

“Yeah. I heard Grayson’s really good at that,” Lasey hummed as she smiled over at Ryan, who simply blushed and nudged her before curling in on himself.

“I can honestly say that Grayson’s a good guy. I’ve shared basically all of my classes with him since freshman year. He is sweet and soft-spoken and goes to the ends of the earth for his siblings,” Hayden said as she took up her previous spot next to Lowell.

“Hold on a tick, he _used_ to be soft-spoken. He seems to have come out of his shell a bit,” Lowell commented. Hayden huffed and thought for a second before she nodded in agreement.

“God, you all suck,” Ryan hissed out.

“It’s because we love you,” Lasey cooed as she leaned over to hug Ryan tightly. Ryan made a stubborn noise and shoved at Lasey.

“Aw, are we torturing Ryan?” Devin asked as he walked in and pulled Hestia’s harness off.

“Yes,” Lasey hummed in response.

“Oh good,” Devin chuckled as he walked over and kissed Lasey lightly. Lasey hummed happily and pat Devin’s abdomen.

“But in all seriousness, how was the vodka adventure last night?” Lasey asked.

“Ryan talked about sex, imitated Eric begging, and overall made Grayson feel very awkward,” Devin answered.

“Yeah, but that was because Grayson didn’t really know what to do. He looked torn between bolting out of the room and salivating when Ryan was doing his hip thing,” Hayden commented. Lowell hummed in agreement while Devin snorted.

“That or push me out of the way to take my place,” Devin laughed. Hayden and Lowell both made noises of agreement as they nodded.

“Oh god. I’m surprised he didn’t do anything if Ryan did the hips,” Lasey giggled.          

“My hips are not hypnotic,” Ryan grumbled.

“Sure,” Devin said as he pat Ryan’s cheek. “At least not to people who aren’t attracted to you.”

“There ya go,” Hayden laughed as she pointed over at Devin, who smiled and pointed back. “Like you said while in your dance headspace, there was a reason Eric begged.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan breathed as he allowed Hestia to climb into his lap.

“You’re so cute when you’re in denial,” Lasey giggled as she reached out to pinch Ryan’s cheek lightly. Ryan rolled his eyes and swat at Lasey’s hand.

“And you’re a giant pain in the ass who is never cute,” Ryan told her.

“I disagree,” Devin huffed.

“If you didn’t there would be a problem since you’re the one dating her,” Lowell stated as he and Hayden turned their attention back to the book splayed across their laps. Devin shrugged and then sat down on the back of the couch behind Lasey. She just giggled and leaned back against his legs.

“Other than the Grayson situation, you guys ready to start classes again soon?” Lasey asked.

“I’m kind-of excited. My photography classes start getting more into stuff this year,” Hayden chirped.

“I’m going into some of my classes with an upper hand since I worked on a movie set all summer,” Devin said with a shrug as he ran his fingers through Lasey’s hair.

“I’m just excited because we’re probably doing A Very Potter Musical12 this year. Alessandra and I worked on writing out the music and stuff at the end of the semester,” Ryan said.

“God, Papa’s gonna flip if that happens,” Lasey sighed. Ryan smiled widely and nodded in agreement.

“I know,” Ryan added.

“Your family is so weird,” Lowell commented.

“We know,” Ryan and Lasey agreed in unison while Avalon and Kyler giggled.

“What about you, Lowell?” Lasey asked. Lowell looked up at her and shrugged.

“Mostly just research for my thesis,” Lowell told her.

“Ugh, I know. I’ve literally been up to my ears in research the past few weeks,” Lasey complained.

“You’re the one who wanted to become a psychologist,” Ryan said with a shrug as he ran his fingers through the fur on Hestia’s back.

“Because I wanted to be able to help people like you and Daddy, _gosh_ ,” Lasey huffed out as she made a face. Ryan smiled and nudged her leg with his toes.

“Stop getting so defensive. I’m just raggin’ on you,” Ryan told her. Lasey stuck her tongue out at him and flicked his toes.

“Lasey, can we get [Rita’s](http://www.ritasice.com/) on way home?” Avalon asked as she looked up at Lasey with large eyes. Lasey smiled and reached out to tap Avalon’s nose.

“Yeah. Just because I missed you guys so much the past few days,” Lasey replied.

“Yay!” Avalon and Kyler exclaimed in unison as they threw their small hands into the air in excitement. Lasey smiled and ruffled both of their hair.

“Just don’t tell Daddy and Papa,” Lasey whispered to them.

“Never. Our secret,” Kyler giggled as he raised himself to his knees to kiss Lasey’s nose.

“That’s my beany boy,” Lasey praised. Kyler smiled smugly and then sat back down and pulled his stuffed dragon into his arms happily. “Now why don’t you and Avie go gather your things from Ryan’s room so we can get on the road soon?”

“Mkay!” Avalon chirped as she shoved herself off the floor and skipped towards Ryan’s room. Kyler giggled and followed after Avalon, bare feet slapping against the wood floor.

“God, they’re so cute,” Hayden giggled. “It makes me so excited to have kids some day.”

“Your kids will be nowhere _near_ as well behaved as those two and you know it,” Ryan commented. Devin snorted in agreement and leaned over to give Ryan a high-five. Hayden huffed out a stubborn sigh and stuck her tongue out at them.

“Like your kids will be any better,” she added.

“Oh, god no. Lase and I aren’t even sure we want kids,” Devin scoffed.

“I’m not sure I want kids either. Kinda depends on who I end up with,” Ryan commented.

“What if you ended up with Grayson?” Lowell questioned with a small smirk. Ryan sighed and stared up at the ceiling as he thought.

“If Grayson wanted kids, yeah,” Ryan finally replied. “He’s someone you could raise kids with. Some other prospects I’ve had? God no.”

“That’s because most of your prospects are filled with lust as you dance by them,” Devin cackled. Ryan shrugged.

“Very true,” he added as he shifted Hestia slightly. She grunted but then easily settled back down on top of Ryan, muzzle tucked into his neck.

“Yeah. You just leave a wake of lust behind you,” Hayden giggled. “You dance your way through a crowd and leave a trail of drooling guys behind you.”

“Accurate statement,” Lowell chuckled while Ryan rolled his eyes.

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Ryan scoffed.

“If only it was,” Devin breathed out. Ryan rolled his eyes again and flipped Devin off.

“Ready!” Avalon and Kyler squeaked as they came back into the room, bags dragging behind them.

“Mkay. Shoes and then we’ll head out. I already moved your seats earlier,” Lasey told them as she got up to stretch. She turned to Devin then who was pouting dramatically. Lasey smiled at Devin fondly and leaned forward to kiss him. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Devin replied as he kissed the tip of her nose. “Drive home safe. Let me know when you get there.”

“Mhm,” Lasey hummed in response as she grabbed her bag off of the table. “And you all keep me updated with any Grayson information.”

“Aye, aye, Captain Lasey,” Hayden replied as both she and Lowell saluted her.

“You’re a menace,” Ryan said in lieu of an actual response as he rolled his eyes.

“I know,” Lasey chirped in satisfaction.

“Bye, Ryan. Be happy,” Avalon said as she walked over to kiss Ryan. Ryan smiled and blew a kiss against her cheek.

“Love you,” Kyler squeaked as he walked over to kiss Ryan as well.

“Love you guys too. Be good in the car,” Ryan told them as he ruffled both their hair. Both twins simply nodded and kissed Ryan’s cheeks one more time before darting over towards Lasey at the door.

“I’ll be talking to you guys,” Lasey hummed. “And I’m sure I will see you again soon. I definitely want to meet Grayson.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ll meet him soon enough,” Ryan told her as he waved a hand in her direction.

“Love you!” Lasey called out as she walked through the door and threw a wave over her shoulder.

“Love you too!” Ryan replied right before the door shut.

“Your sister is like a hurricane, just so you know,” Lowell commented after a few seconds of silence.

“That’s one way to put it,” Ryan chuckled as he and Devin exchanged a look.

“A nice way,” Devin added. Ryan laughed and nodded in agreement.

“So, are we making dinner tonight or ordering in?” Hayden asked as she looked between Ryan and Devin.

“Ordering in,” Ryan replied after a few seconds. “You choose. Devin chooses movie. I’ve monopolized enough time the past few days.”

“Aw, but you deserved it, dude,” Devin said as he slid off the back of the couch to sit on Ryan’s legs. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“I love you guys, just so you know,” Ryan told them. Devin, Hayden, and Lowell all smiled as they looked at each other.

“We love you too,” they all chorused. Ryan chuckled and then nudged Devin with his knees. Devin smiled and then got up in order to grab menus to hand to Hayden before he walked over to pick out a movie.

000000

“Last day of set! Last day of set!” Josh squeaked as he ran up to Ryan and barreled into him. Ryan squawked and dropped his feet to the floor to stabilize his chair. Josh laughed and then released Ryan to ruffle his hair instead.

“You’re a menace,” Ryan grumbled as he reached out to slap Josh. Josh chuckled and then sat down in Grayson’s chair next to Ryan’s.

“C’mon! It’s the last day of set! How exciting!” Josh bugled as he threw his hands into the air. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he swat at Josh’s arm.

“I will never understand why you think the last day is the most exciting,” Ryan breathed.

“Because I can go get wasted afterwards,” Josh replied easily. “And get Lydia drunk as well, which is always an experience.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Ryan chuckled. “I, however, don’t need to do anymore drinking this week.”

“Ryan Castellan? _Drinking underage_?” Josh gasped dramatically. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be an idiot, Joshua,” Ryan added as he reached over to pat Josh’s knee. “We both know how college goes. Plus, Lowell provides us with alcohol since he is twenty-two.”

“Wow. Hayden using her boyfriend to get alcohol,” Josh snorted. Ryan smiled innocently before turning to look towards Lydia.

Grayson walked in then, a wide smile on his face as he walked up to Lydia. Ryan gaped and then floundered for his phone. Josh snorted and Ryan flipped him off quickly as he took a picture and then sent it off to Lasey.

_LASEY_

_LASEY NO_

_GLASSES_

_WHO ALLOWED THIS WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED TO MY LIFE_

_GRAYSON WEARING GLASSES SHOULD BE ILLEGAL HELP MY SOUL_

_LASEY_

_THIS IS LITERALLY THE WORST MOMENT_

_THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR AWKWARD BONERS_

_I HATE EVERYTHING_

_SEND HELP_

“Dude, you’re going to break your phone,” Grayson chuckled as he appeared in front of Ryan. Ryan squeaked and quickly hid his phone before he crossed his legs. Josh snorted as he glanced at Ryan, who made a face and reached over to pinch Josh’s arm.

“You’re a terrible human being, Joshua,” Ryan hissed. Josh beamed over at Ryan and scrunched up his nose slightly. Josh then turned to Grayson with a questioning expression.

“What’s with the glasses, man?” Josh asked. Grayson sighed and shook his head slightly.

“One of my roommates got back last night and we got drunk. She threw something at one point that got something in my eye so my contacts were hurting,” Grayson said.

“Wait, hold on. Are you telling me that you’ve slept in your contacts all summer while at my place?” Ryan squawked.

“Yeah. I have those contacts that you wear for, like, a month and then take them out and wear your glasses for three days,” Grayson told him. “It was just days that I wore my glasses I was at my place rather than yours.”

“Wow, embarrassed or something?” Ryan giggled. Grayson rolled his eyes and then flicked Ryan’s nose. Ryan smiled and reached out to push Grayson’s glasses up his nose a bit.

“God dammit, I’m leaving,” Josh breathed. “I’m not dealing with this.”

“What?” Grayson asked while Ryan glared after Josh, who waved a hand over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan said. Grayson shrugged then sat down in his chair. “So, your roommate came back and got you drunk?”

“Ugh, god yeah. She’s a menace. I am not ready for my other two roommates to get back. All of them together gets a bit disastrous,” Grayson told him.

“Worse than my apartment?” Ryan asked as he tilted his head slightly. Grayson huffed out a breath as he thought.

“Probably about the same at times, but typically not as bad,” Grayson replied as he pushed his hair away from his forehead.

“Oh good. No one can upstage us,” Ryan huffed out.

“That would be pretty hard to do since apparently none of you guys close bathroom doors,” Grayson snorted. Ryan shrugged and slid his phone back into his pocket.

“I mean, Devin and I have known each other way too long for that to be an issue. Hayden just embraced it really easily, as did Lowell,” Ryan added. Grayson smiled and shook his head.

“You’re all so weird,” Grayson breathed.

“We know,” Ryan replied with a wide smile. “And you’re the one who hangs out with us on a regular basis.”

“You’ve got me there,” Grayson said with a shrug. Ryan smiled widely and then kissed Grayson’s cheek quickly before he darted away towards Lydia. Grayson just stared after Ryan blankly before he shook himself out of it and followed after Ryan.

000000

“Shanna, we’re going to need a better piano,” Ryan called out a few weeks later as he sat at the piano in the theater department. Shanna sighed as she looked over at Ryan.

“I know. We’re working on it,” Shanna told him.

“Contact my dad,” Ryan said airily as Alessandra dropped onto the piano bench next to him.

“Ryan, I am not going to run to your fathers every time the department needs something,” Shanna scolded with a hard stare.

“Why not?” Ryan asked. “They both said they would rather put their money into the theater department here than a lot of other places that ask for donations.”

“God, I wish I had rich parents,” Alessandra sighed wistfully. Ryan smiled at her and bumped his shoulder into hers.

“I’m rich too,” Ryan added. “I’m just technically not allowed to buy the department things we need.”

“God, _shut up_ ,” Matt groaned as he walked by. “Stop bragging about it. The rest of us are going to have loans out of our asses and you’re just gonna be floating around with all of your money.”

“You’re forgetting that I have amazing connections and can help all of you find jobs,” Ryan said. “I know you guys too well, I’m not gonna leave you to drown in the real world once we graduate.”

“Aw, you’re the best,” Alessandra giggled as she leaned against Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan smiled and tipped his head against hers.

“Damn famous kids,” Matt chuckled as he ruffled Ryan’s hair in passing. “I’ll see you guys later, though. Gotta get to class.”

“Gotta blast!” Marna squeaked in excitement as she bolted passed Matt, backpack bouncing on her shoulders. Matt chuckled and followed after her, easily catching up to the small nineteen year old. Ryan and Alessandra both smiled and shook their heads.

“So, how was being in a movie this summer?” Alessandra said. Ryan shrugged.

“Same as usual. I did meet a guy though,” Ryan said with a small smile. Alessandra released and excited squeak then and poked his side.

“Is it the one that has been in a few of your pictures this summer?” she asked. “Because he is seriously attractive.”

“Yes, and I know,” Ryan replied.

“What’s he like?” Alessandra asked as she began to tap out a song on the piano. Ryan huffed out a breath and pushed his hair away from his face.

“He’s really nice. Hestia and the twins absolutely adore him. It also helps that he likes to cuddle,” Ryan told her.

“Mmh, all good attributes,” Alessandra hummed. Ryan simply nodded in agreement.

“He really reeled Avalon and Kyler in by telling them biology facts. They ate it up,” Ryan chuckled. “He told them about how humans form butt first and the rest of the weekend was one of them singing _you’re a butthole_ and the other one retorting _I’m not a butthole_ 13.”

“That’s fuckin’ hilarious,” Alessandra cackled. Ryan snorted and nodded in agreement. “So, he’s a bio student?”

“Yeah. And art. Apparently he and Hayden have known each other since freshman year. He’s the duck penis guy,” Ryan laughed.

“What? _No_!” Alessandra gasped as she looked at Ryan with a wide smile and excited eyes.

“Yep,” Ryan laughed. “He was not happy that I knew the story.”

“It’s a hilarious story,” Alessandra giggled. Ryan hummed in agreement as they began to play a song together on the piano. “God, this piano really does suck.”

“I know,” Ryan agreed. “We seriously need a new one. I mean, I could probably tune this one, but still.”

“God, tuning pianos? Any other talents you have that I don’t know about?” Grayson suddenly asked. Ryan turned quickly with wide eyes to see Grayson and Josiah standing behind them. Josiah cackled and walked over to ruffle both Ryan and Alessandra’s hair.

“Only ones in the bedroom,” Ryan finally retorted. Grayson’s eyebrows shot up while Alessandra and Josiah laughed hysterically.

“God, I missed you,” Alessandra breathed as she leaned over to kiss Ryan’s cheek. Then, she looked back at Grayson and smiled widely. “Hi! I’m Alessandra!”

“Hey. I’m Grayson,” Grayson replied with a small smile and wave.

“You’re the one who spent all summer on a set with Ryan and Devin?” Alessandra questioned.

“Yep,” Grayson said with a small sigh.

“God, that must have been interesting,” Josiah breathed.

“To say the least,” Grayson chuckled.

“Dev and I are perfectly pleasant,” Ryan huffed.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night,” Grayson said with a shrug. Ryan pursed his lips and reached over to punch Grayson’s abdomen. Grayson chuckled and pulled Ryan into a hug. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“You’re like a wall of muscle, I don’t understand,” Ryan commented.

“So are you,” Josiah said as he looked over at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow.

“Seriously. Your abs are like rocks,” Alessandra agreed. “It’s all that dancing.”

“Yeah. We all know it’s not sex anymore,” Josiah commented.

“True,” Ryan chuckled.

“God. I didn’t realize you were like this with _everyone_ ,” Grayson breathed. Ryan beamed up at Grayson and then pinched Grayson’s side lightly.

“Sex is a very important topic, Grayson. Just because you’re like a blushing virgin doesn’t mean the rest of us are,” Ryan chirped. Grayson rolled his eyes and flicked Ryan’s nose.

“God, I’m gonna puke,” Alessandra breathed. Ryan flipped her off while Josiah snorted with laughter.

“You’re a terrible person,” Ryan added.

“Ugh, I know,” Alessandra groaned dramatically. “It’s why I’m going to hell.”

“Yeah, your flaming homosexuality has nothing to do with it,” Josiah laughed.

“Society is so past that. I don’t care what religious twats have to say,” Alessandra huffed with her nose in the air.

“Yep,” Ryan agreed with a smile as he gave Alessandra a high-five.

“God, you’re ridiculous,” Grayson breathed.

“And you hang out with me constantly,” Ryan hummed as he smiled at Grayson and then stood up as he pat Grayson’s chest.

“Yep. Now, c’mon. Hayden said she and Devin are planning on ordering a shit-ton of Chinese for dinner,” Grayson said.

“God _yes_ ,” Ryan moaned as he grabbed his bag from the floor. Grayson chuckled and clapped Ryan on the shoulder.

“See you later! And don’t forget we need to practice tomorrow!” Alessandra called out.

“Aye, aye!” Ryan replied as he and Grayson walked out of the theater. “Do you know of our other plans tonight aside from Chinese food?”

“Uuh, I think Devin mentioned Disney movies,” Grayson hummed as he slung an arm across Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan hummed happily and easily leaned into Grayson’s side as they walked.

“Sounds like a great way to end the first week of school,” Ryan breathed out happily.

“Agreed,” Grayson chuckled as he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan squawked indignantly and punched Grayson’s side lightly. Grayson chuckled again and pulled Ryan close to his side. Ryan giggled and looked up, only to freeze with wide eyes. Grayson looked down at Ryan in confusion then. “What?”

“Walk back towards the theater,” Ryan whispered urgently as he unfroze and pulled away from Grayson’s side to shove Grayson back a bit.

“Ryan? Ryan, what is going on?” Grayson asked quietly as he grabbed onto Ryan’s arm lightly.

“ _Just go_ ,” Ryan begged urgently as he looked up at Grayson. “ _Please_.”

“Okay, okay. Calm down,” Grayson said as he turned back and began to pull Ryan along with him. Ryan relaxed slightly and held onto Grayson’s arm tightly as they walked. “Are we going back into the theater?”

“No. Still getting to my car,” Ryan replied quickly as he glanced around.

“Mkay,” Grayson sighed. Then, he stopped short as Ryan made a small noise and froze again as someone appeared in front of them.

“ _Leave me alone_ ,” Ryan immediately hissed out.

“I just want to talk,” the guy said smoothly.

“You never _just_ want to talk, Eric,” Ryan ground out, grip tightening on Grayson’s arm. Grayson looked between Ryan and Eric then, a look of understanding washing across his face.

“This your new boyfriend, Ryan?” Eric asked as he looked over Grayson, who narrowed his eyes at Eric.

“I don’t owe you any information,” Ryan bit out angrily. Eric tilted his head at Ryan, eyes narrowed.

“I just asked a simple question,” Eric replied.

“One that you don’t deserve an answer to,” Ryan hissed as he finally let go of Grayson’s arm to clench his fists angrily.

“Ryan, let’s just go. C’mon,” Grayson said quietly. Ryan looked at Grayson and the anger leaked out of his eyes.

“Okay,” Ryan whispered. Grayson nodded once and started to lead Ryan away.

“God, you always were a little bitch,” Eric hissed out with venom. Ryan turned quickly then with narrowed eyes. Grayson tried to hold Ryan back, but Ryan pushed Grayson back.

“Don’t fucking talk to me!” Ryan screamed. “If you so much as try to talk to me again, I swear I will get a restraining order.”

“You talk a big game, Ryan,” Eric practically purred as he smirked and took a step towards Ryan, fists clenched at his sides. Ryan immediately made a small noise and flinched, nearly falling. Grayson caught Ryan easily and turned to glare at Eric.

“You’re a giant piece of shit,” Grayson hissed out angrily before he turned and dragged Ryan off. Ryan easily followed, head bowed down as he shivered. Grayson wrapped an arm around Ryan’s shoulders protectively and reached up to place one hand in Ryan’s hair. “You going to be okay?”

“I just want to get home,” Ryan breathed out shakily.

“Mkay. I’ve got you,” Grayson whispered as he led Ryan towards his car. Ryan just nodded once, remaining curled into himself as best he could while walking. Once they reached Ryan’s car, Grayson held his hand out. “Keys. I’m not letting you drive like this.”

Ryan simply nodded and dropped his keys into Grayson’s hand before he walked around to the passenger side. Grayson easily dropped into the driver’s seat and turned the car on. He glanced at Ryan nervously, but Ryan was curled in on himself with his head tucked into his arms. Grayson took a deep breath as he drove, doing his best not to ask Ryan anything. Once Grayson parked, he helped Ryan out of the car and tucked Ryan back into his side as they walked into the building.

As soon as they walked into the apartment, they were met with the sounds of [18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRpzJabYlQQ) by One Direction blasting through the apartment. Ryan stiffened and lifted his head with pursed lips. Grayson shut the door behind them, eyeing Ryan warily.

“If you don’t turn that shit off _right now_ I am going to stab you 14!” Ryan screamed. The music immediately cut off before Devin came stumbling into the living room with wide eyes, Hayden right behind him. Devin walked over then and immediately placed his hands on Ryan’s cheeks.

“What did he do?” Devin asked as he inspected Ryan’s face carefully. Ryan took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“Nothing,” Ryan huffed out. Devin inspected Ryan’s face again.

“Don’t lie to me,” Devin said seriously. Ryan heaved out a deep breath and hung his head. Devin tipped Ryan’s head back up and looked him in the eye. “Don’t lie to me and don’t hold back on me.”

“I j-just hate him s-so much. I w-was so _scared_ ,” Ryan finally breathed out as he tried to hold back sobs. Grayson watched Devin and Ryan closely while Hayden just looked between all three of them.

“ _What did he do_?” Devin asked again. Ryan just shook his head vigorously as he continued to cry. Devin looked up at Grayson then, eyes questioning.

“Yeah, can I talk to you?” Grayson asked. “I have a few questions.”

“Yeah. Ry, you go with Hayden, okay?” Devin asked as he ran his thumb across Ryan’s cheek. Ryan nodded once and then allowed Hayden to lead him towards his room. Devin immediately grabbed onto Grayson’s arm and tugged Grayson towards his room.

“Ry, talk to me,” Hayden breathed as they collapsed onto Ryan’s bed, Hestia following easily to cuddle up to Ryan, head tucked under his chin.

“I just _can’t_ see him without feeling _helpless_ ,” Ryan breathed out as he closed his eyes tightly. “I’ve spent _two years_ trying to get over what he did to me and he can undo _everything_ in one short conversation.”

“Oh, honey,” Hayden cooed as he buried her fingers in Ryan’s hair. “You can’t let him get to you like that.”

“I can’t just not!” Ryan exclaimed loudly. “I can’t! He spent the entire last year of our relationship emotionally abusing me, Hayden! He told me that I wasn’t worth him and that I wasn’t worth love. He said that I was worthless and was only good for sex, which was apparently the only reason he was with me. He spent most days trying to make my friends hate me and tried to pull me away from my family. So _don’t tell me I can’t let him get to me_.”

“Oh, _Ryan_ ,” Hayden cried as he pulled Ryan into her lap while he sobbed. “You’re so much better than he is, okay? He is the one who doesn’t deserve love. You’re such a good person. You love with your entire being and he manipulated that about you. Don’t believe _anything_ that asshole told you. I’ve never met someone more deserving of love than you. You’re such a great brother and friend. I’ve watched you drop _everything_ to go home and help your dad when he’s depressed and needs as much comfort as he can get. I want you to hold onto how your family and friends make you feel and push out how Eric made you feel today or any other time, okay?”

“I w-want Devin,” Ryan sobbed. Hayden cooed and ran her hands through Ryan’s hair.

“Hey, I’m right here, Ry. I’m here,” Devin suddenly said as he quickly climbed onto the bed and took Ryan out of Hayden’s lap and into his own. Ryan easily fell into Devin’s lap and curled up there while Devin buried his fingers in Ryan’s hair. “I’ve got you, okay?”

“Where’s Grayson?” Ryan choked out.

“I’m here,” Grayson’s voice came before he slowly climbed onto the bed. Ryan immediately reached out and Grayson latched onto Ryan’s hand, slowly swiping his thumb across Ryan’s hand.

“Hayds, there’s something I need to talk to Ryan and Grayson about,” Devin said calmly as he continued to run his fingers through Ryan’s hair. Hayden looked between the three of them and then got up slowly.

“Come get me when you’re ready,” she whispered before she quietly left the room and closed the door. It was quiet for a few seconds after that as Devin and Grayson looked at each other while Ryan tried to control his breathing.

“Ry, Grayson knows,” Devin said softly. Ryan froze then, all of his muscles tensed. Grayson squeezed Ryan’s hand tightly and scooted forward slightly to press his knees closer to Ryan’s back.

“I’m not stupid, Ryan. You flinched when he stepped towards you,” Grayson whispered. Ryan took in a deep breath then, closing his eyes tightly. “It’s okay. I’m not judging you. You have every right to feel the way you do.”

“It was only once, though,” Ryan cried softly. Devin growled quietly then and grabbed onto Ryan’s face.

“One time is too many, Ryan. No one deserves what that asshole did to you. You did absolutely _nothing_ to make him hit you. You were a _victim_ , Ryan, not an instigator. _He was his own instigator_. Abuse victims are not the reason they were abused,” Devin said forcefully as he looked Ryan in the eye. Ryan released a sob then before he curled even more in on himself. Grayson moved closer then and placed one hand on Ryan’s back.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Ryan. You deserve to be upset over this. That guy physically harmed you. It’s completely understandable that seeing him makes you fall apart. There’s nothing wrong with needing to mourn what happened to you,” Grayson said softly as he rubbed Ryan’s back. “It takes more than two years to heal sometimes.”

“Exactly,” Devin said as he rubbed a thumb across Ryan’s forehead.

“You’re fine, now. I’m not gonna let him near you, okay?” Grayson whispered as he easily pulled Ryan into his lap and tucked his chin over Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan heaved out a breath and nodded minutely as he curled into Grayson’s chest. Grayson hugged Ryan’s shoulders tightly as he swayed Ryan slightly. “I promise I won’t let him hurt you. I promise.”

Ryan simply nodded as he tucked his head beneath Grayson’s chin. Grayson hummed slightly and tucked Ryan closer to his chest. Devin caught Grayson’s gaze then and gave Grayson a small smile. Grayson responded with the same as he maintained his tight hold on Ryan.

“I’m gonna go help Hayds with food. You’re in good hands,” Devin breathed as he leaned forward to kiss Ryan’s temple. Ryan just nodded once, still tucked into Grayson’s chest. Devin just unfolded himself and got up from the bed, patting Grayson on the shoulder as he left. Grayson nodded once and gave Devin a small smile.

“You’ll be okay, Ryan. I promise. I’m here for you, just like Devin, okay?” Grayson asked. Ryan simply nodded into Grayson’s chest. Grayson smiled to himself and then kissed Ryan’s temple as he continued to hold Ryan tightly.

000000

“Where’s my baby brother?” Lasey’s voice exclaimed a few hours later. Ryan immediately looked up and attempted to scramble out of Grayson’s lap. Grayson grunted as he took an elbow to the gut and then helped Ryan up. Lasey appeared in the doorway then with a panicked expression. Ryan immediately reached out towards her and she kicked off her shoes before collapsing onto the bed with Ryan and taking his face into her hands.

“He didn’t hurt you again, did he?” Lasey asked quietly. Ryan shook his head but then collapsed against Lasey’s chest. Lasey released a relieved sigh and hugged Ryan tightly as she kissed Ryan’s forehead repeatedly. “God, I was so worried when Devin called me. I was so afraid that I would get here to see you all bruised up again.”

“No. He didn’t touch me,” Ryan said quietly as Lasey inspected his face thoroughly.

“Good,” Lasey replied as she tucked Ryan into her lap. Ryan sighed deeply and allowed her to hold him close. She looked up then and seemed to notice Grayson. Her expression immediately hardened and Grayson started slightly.

“Uh, hi?” Grayson asked cautiously. Ryan smiled slightly then and reached out to grab onto one of Grayson’s hand.

“He’s good, Lase. He and Dev talked. He got me out of there earlier,” Ryan whispered. Lasey immediately loosened up and gave Grayson a small smile.

“Thank you, then,” Lasey hummed. Grayson smiled back and nodded once.

“It was no problem,” Grayson added. “I care about him too.”

“Good. He needs good people to keep him steady,” Lasey commented. “However, these are not the conditions I wanted to meet you under. I’m Lasey, by the way.”

“I gathered. I’m Grayson,” Grayson replied as he held out his hand for Lasey. She smiled widely at him and accepted Grayson’s hand before she poked Ryan lightly.

“You’ve found a good one, Ry,” she whispered. Ryan smiled slightly and looked up at Grayson, who gave Ryan a tentative smile.

“I know,” Ryan added as he squeezed Grayson’s hand. Grayson squeezed back and then leaned forward to kiss Ryan’s temple.

“I’m gonna go help Hayden and Devin with the massive amounts of food they most likely ordered now that you’ve got your sister here,” Grayson said against Ryan’s temple. Ryan nodded and squeezed Grayson’s hand once more before Grayson got up and left the room. Lasey watched Grayson closely as he left before she looked down at Ryan.

“That a new development?” Lasey asked. Ryan simply nodded and shifted slightly in Lasey’s lap.

“Yeah. I mean, he accidentally did it once last month but then today was just, I dunno,” Ryan breathed. Lasey hummed happily and nuzzled into Ryan’s cheek.

“It’s cute. He really cares about you,” Lasey hummed before she blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan chuckled slightly and nudged her with his elbow. “In all seriousness, though, he passes so far. He got you away from Eric and then took care of you after he talked to Devin. You really shouldn’t deny yourself, baby brother.”

“Shut up,” Ryan groaned. Lasey giggled and hugged Ryan tightly as she swayed him and then kissed his cheek again.

“C’mon. Let’s go eat the copious amounts of food your ridiculous roommates ordered,” Lasey cooed as she got up and gently pulled Ryan with her.

“I’m changing first,” Ryan grumbled as he got up and walked over to his closet. Lasey smiled and shook her head as she watched Ryan strip out of his clothes and then pull on his Toothless onesie.

“You’re ridiculous,” Lasey told him as she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. Ryan simply hummed and latched onto Lasey’s hand.

“Ugh, I forgot to steal that thing out of his closet after that damn interview,” Hayden groaned. Ryan stuck his tongue out at her as he collapsed onto the couch next to Grayson and pulled Lasey down next to him.

“Don’t make fun of my Ryan. He deserves his ridiculous onesie,” Lasey cooed as she pulled the hood on the onesie up to cover Ryan’s face. Ryan hummed and leaned against Lasey’s shoulder while Grayson chuckled and pat Ryan’s knee.

“He deserves that and his bottle of vodka,” Devin said as he held up the bottle.

“Nah. Maybe tomorrow night,” Ryan sighed. “Tonight I just want to cuddle and eat food.”

“Then we have just what you need,” Grayson said as he curled up to Ryan’s side. Ryan smiled and reached back to place a hand on Grayson’s hair.

“You know what else will make you feel better?” Lasey asked. Ryan looked up at Lasey then with bright eyes and she smiled before she jumped up to flit over to his DVD shelf.

“Oh god,” Hayden immediately grumbled while Devin positively beamed. Grayson simply looked confused while Ryan curled happily into his side.

“Don’t you dare hate on this musical! It is a Castellan family classic!” Devin said as he skipped into the room with two plates of food for Ryan and Grayson.

“It’s kind-of weird,” Hayden stated as she handed a plate to Devin.

“You’re weird,” Devin, Lasey, and Ryan retorted in unison.

“What is it?” Grayson asked in confusion.

“A musical our dads were in back in college. Addie wrote it for them specifically,” Lasey answered as she pulled the disc out and flit over to put the DVD in the player.

“They still have pictures up in the theater department,” Ryan added in a hum.

“I am so telling Daddy and Papa that when I get home,” Lasey giggled as she accepted a plate of food from Hayden and then dropped onto the couch next to Devin. “They’ll hate it.”

“Mhm,” Ryan agreed as he sifted slightly to hold his plate of food in his lap. Grayson smiled slightly and leaned against Ryan’s shoulder.

“Just so you know, this is even more ridiculous than Spectacular,” Hayden breathed as she sat down with her own plate of food.

“Bring it on, then,” Grayson chuckled.

“What a great answer,” Lasey said as she beamed over at Grayson before she started the movie. Grayson smiled back and adjusted as Ryan leaned back into his side.

“God, I’m surrounded by weirdos,” Hayden sighed. “I need Lowell here.”

“Too bad he’s working his ass off until tomorrow morning,” Devin snorted. Hayden rolled her eyes and flipped Devin off.

“God, such hostility,” Grayson said airily even though his attention was in the TV.

“You should see them when they’re both sex deprived,” Ryan chirped.

“I’ve already dealt with you being sex deprived, I think I’ll be okay,” Grayson retorted.

“Fucker,” Ryan said easily. Grayson just chuckled and looped one arm around Ryan’s shoulder easily to blow a kiss against Ryan’s cheek. Lasey watched them with a small smile on her face while Hayden stared with raised eyebrows and Devin shook his head.

“Shut up and watch the musical,” Lasey said then as she nudged both Ryan and Grayson with her toes. Ryan huffed and shoved her foot back as he settled against Grayson. Grayson just smiled and ruffled Ryan’s hair before they all turned their attention to the musical while they ate.

000000

“Disney drinking game?” Devin asked the next night with a smirk as he held up a bottle of vodka.

“Or just drinking,” Ryan said as he held his hands out for the bottle from where he was practically sitting in Grayson’s lap. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes as she slapped at Ryan’s hands.

“You’re not getting your own bottle,” Lasey told him. Ryan made a face at her and then accepted the bottle of vodka into his hands as Devin handed it to him.

“I will have you know that this bottle of vodka is the one bequeathed to me a few weeks ago,” Ryan informed her. “It is _my_ bottle and I will drink as much as I please.”

“Fine, just don’t drink the rest of what’s in there,” Lasey told him as she got up and skipped over to Devin to grab a shot from him. Ryan simply opened the bottle and raised it toward her before he took a swig.

“Want some?” Ryan asked Grayson as he turned to look at him. Grayson shrugged and accepted the bottle to take a mouthful. Ryan smiled widely and pat Grayson’s cheek as he took the bottle back. “You still going to hold back on us? Because I now know that you drink from what you said on the last day of set.”

“Maybe I just don’t feel like getting completely wasted,” Grayson countered. Ryan rolled his eyes as he took another sip from the bottle.

“You’re lame,” Ryan said once he swallowed. “You’ll get drunk with your roommates but not the people you spent all summer with.”

“Maybe he likes his wits about him, eh?” Lowell asked as he walked over with Hayden clinging to his back.

“Nope. Lame,” Ryan chirped as he scrunched up his nose at Grayson, who smiled and rolled his eyes as he shoved Ryan’s face away from him lightly. Ryan giggled and then smacked a kiss to Grayson’s cheek before he got up to walk over to Lasey and drape himself across her back. Lasey smiled as she looked back at him and wrapped her hands around his wrists loosely.

“Doing all right?” Lasey asked. Ryan hummed and nodded in agreement.

“Definitely better than last night,” Ryan added as he tucked his chin onto her shoulder. Lasey hummed this time and reached back to pay Ryan’s cheek.

“You and Daddy are going to give me premature gray hairs,” she informed him. Ryan simply nuzzled into Lasey’s neck while she ran her fingers through his hair. “Granted, I don’t come home to find you locked in your bathroom, but still.”

“Ugh, don’t start,” Ryan sighed sadly. Lasey made a small noise and turned to kiss Ryan’s cheek.

“No more sadness. More drunk-ness,” Hayden said with a wide smile.

“I’ll drink to that!” Ryan exclaimed as he took another swig from his bottle and then skipped over to Grayson to offer him the bottle. Grayson chuckled and shook his head even though he accepted the bottle.

“Just something in advance: I am not cleaning up any vomit,” Lowell stated.

“When was the last time you saw any of us puke while drunk?” Devin asked. Lowell shrugged and pulled Hayden back up as she tripped over something.

“I’m covering my bases. I am not sure what Grayson is like when he is drunk,” Lowell said.

“Not a puker,” Grayson assured as he prevented Ryan from falling off of the couch. “It’s still hard to believe that you’re such a graceful dancer when you literally fall off the couch with nothing happening to you.”

“It’s a talent he’s had since we were little,” Lasey giggled. “He inherited it from Daddy. Difference is Daddy grew out of it.”

“Coincidentally, his dancing abilities are also inherited from Riker,” Devin laughed.

“True statements,” Ryan giggled as he took another mouthful of vodka before placing the bottle on the coffee table. “However, Daddy also didn’t start dancing until he was in high school.”

“Yep,” Lasey agreed as she sprawled out on the floor, grunting when Hestia flopped down on top of her. Lasey giggled then and pet Hestia’s ears. “I still can’t believe Daddy and Papa didn’t get together until they were seventeen. Like, I feel like they would have been those high school guys that secretly went at it all the time in their dorm but then pretended nothing happened when outside the room.”

“Isn’t that essentially what they did before they officially got together their senior year?” Devin asked.

“Nah. Everyone knew something was going down then,” Ryan said as he leaned against Grayson’s side. “

“Yeah. Aunt Lily still likes to tell us about how stupid they were,” Lasey giggled. “But, I mean, Daddy thought he’d been straight. And then he saw the light.”

“Yeah, the light of Papa’s dick,” Ryan snorted as he looked over at Lasey, who snorted out a laugh.

“God, this is such a messed up conversation for us to be having. Those are our _parents_ ,” Lasey giggled.

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird for you to be having that conversation,” Hayden breathed. “I’ve long accepted that y’all talk about weird shit.”

“Agreed,” Lowell hummed as he took a swig of vodka. “Pretty much accepted that the first time I walked in to see you three lying on the floor and discussing different sex toys.”

“Aw, that was our first weekend in this apartment together!” Devin squeaked happily.

“Please tell me you were at least drunk,” Grayson breathed.

“Nope, not at all,” Ryan said with a wide smile. Grayson rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples.

“Somehow that doesn’t even surprise me,” he commented.

“I mean, Ry and I have had similar conversations with Jude and Leon, so there’s that,” Lasey said with a shrug.

“Who’s Leon?” Grayson asked.

“Jude’s husband,” Ryan replied as he grabbed his bottle of vodka to take another mouthful before he handed it off to Grayson, who did the same.

“Your family is so fucking weird,” Grayson told them.

“We know,” Ryan and Lasey hummed in unison.

“You get used to it,” Hayden told Grayson. “It gets weird again when you meet them en masse, but you get acclimated quickly.”

“ _Sh_ , you’re gonna scare him and then he’ll never wanna meet them,” Ryan said dramatically as he looked over at Hayden.

“The alcohol has officially hit Ryan,” Devin giggled. Ryan smiled over at Devin even as he flipped him off. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Ryan pouted as he jut out his bottom lip. Devin simply smiled in Ryan’s direction before he crawled across the floor to lie down next to Lasey. Lasey smiled at Devin and leaned over to kiss him lightly.

“No one is making fun of you, Ry. Just making a statement,” Hayden said as she walked over to pat Ryan’s cheek. Ryan made a face at her and made to bite at her fingers. She giggled hysterically and skipped back over to Lowell, who smiled and easily pulled her back into his arms.

“Don’t feed me lies, you demon!” Ryan squawked.

“Whoa, chill,” Grayson chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around Ryan. Ryan easily settled against Grayson but continued to stare at Hayden stubbornly.

“She’s a demon,” Ryan hissed out as he narrowed his eyes at Hayden, who did the same in response. Grayson chuckled and squished Ryan’s cheeks together.

“Maybe you’re both demons,” Grayson added.

“That would be an accurate statement,” Devin laughed from the floor.

“As someone who has lived with Ryan for his entire life, I know that to be true,” Lasey giggled.

“It is not!” Ryan squawked indignantly. Lasey tipped her head back to look at Ryan with a deadpan expression then.

“You used to pout at Daddy to get out of trouble,” Lasey said. “Which honestly shouldn’t have worked on him since apparently that’s what _he_ did as a kid, but whatever.”

“That’s not demonic, that’s just smart,” Lowell commented.

“Exactly,” Ryan huffed out smugly. “And between the two of us we both know _you_ were the demon.”

“Agreed,” Devin chuckled. Lasey made an offended noise.

“Don’t even, Lasey! You used to run into my room naked just to annoy me!” Ryan called out. Lasey burst out laughing then while Devin smiled and rolled his eyes. Hayden simply shook her head while Lowell chuckled and Grayson looked down at Lasey with a skeptical expression.

“You make it sound like that is something she did for a long time,” Grayson said to Ryan.

“She never stopped. It’s just that I stopped caring,” Ryan sighed out as he looked back at Grayson.

“Accurate,” Lasey giggled. “Daddy and Papa still care though.”

“Well, I mean, last time they saw you naked you were seated on my dick, so there’s that,” Devin said.

“ _Oh my god_!” Hayden screeched out as she laughed. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“No, he’s not,” Lasey sighed. “I made the mistake of not making sure my door was locked and Papa sometimes doesn’t knock.”

“Yeah, we can actually blame that one on Papa. I tried to stop him,” Ryan said with a shrug.

“God, I don’t think I will ever understand your family,” Grayson breathed out.

“You don’t have to. Just drink!” Ryan chirped then as he smiled widely and handed the bottle of vodka to Grayson.

“Cheers to that,” Grayson snorted as he accepted the bottle and took a sip. Ryan giggled as he took the bottle back to take a sip as well.

“Yes, _more drinking_!” Hayden bugled happily as she skipped off into the kitchen. Lowell shook his head as he watched her go.

“You chose her, dude,” Devin said as he pointed over at Lowell, who smiled.

“I know,” Lowell added. “I wouldn’t change her, though.”

“Definitely not. She’s a good soccer buddy,” Lasey chirped as she shoved at Hestia and then sat up. Hestia grunted stubbornly but then easily settled back into Lasey’s lap.

“Hell yeah I am,” Hayden agreed as she walked back in, two different alcohol bottles held in her hands. “Anyone down for a drinking game?”

“Can’t we just drink?” Devin whined.

“I mean, yeah,” Lowell laughed as he walked over and grabbed one bottle from Hayden to open and take a drink from.

“You’re my kind of man,” Devin chuckled as he accepted the bottle from Lowell and Lowell held it out.

“Aw. _I’m_ not your kind of man?” Ryan asked with a pout.

“Nope. You’re Grayson’s kind of man,” Devin immediately shot out. Grayson spluttered then and blushed furiously. Devin chuckled and waved a hand in Grayson’s direction. “Don’t worry, man. Ry’s nowhere near blackout drunk but he’s far enough buzzed that shit like that doesn’t stick.”

“Pretty much,” Lasey agreed as she took the bottle from Devin to take a sip. “He once had an entire conversation with Daddy and Martie while in this state about a project he was working on and when they brought up the topic the next day he was really confused about how they knew about it.”

“Artemis near about shit herself when she realized Ryan had been drunk,” Devin chuckled.

“Wait, is Martie the same person as Artemis?” Grayson asked in confusion as he and Ryan continued to pass the bottle of vodka back and forth.

“Yeah. Lase and I call her Martie because she’s our bio mom. When we were kids we thought our spin on _Mom_ and _Artie_ put together was great,” Ryan informed Grayson.

“She thinks it’s adorable,” Lasey said with a shrug.

“Artemis also thinks Caron is adorable, so I’d say her view is a little skewed,” Hayden countered.

“Oh, no. Caron is totally adorable in looks. Her personality is an actual demon from hell, though,” Ryan said as he finally settled the bottle of vodka back on the coffee table.

“Pretty much,” Lasey agreed.

“It’s how she gets out of trouble so often. She just bats her eyelids and she’s good to go. I fear for the male population of her high school when she gets there,” Devin breathed. “She’s gonna have so many lust-filled boys trailing behind her and she’s gonna enjoy the shit out of it.”

“Maybe Luca will keep her in line,” Hayden commented.

“Sure,” Ryan, Devin, and Lasey all deadpanned.

“Luca seemed like a good kid,” Grayson hummed as he pulled Ryan into his lap and hooked his chin over Ryan’s shoulder.

“He is,” everyone else chimed in.

“One of the better kids of the family,” Lasey said. “Nico’s pretty chill too.”

“Yeah, but he’s far away,” Ryan hummed. Lasey nodded in agreement and then shoved Hestia off of herself in order to get up. Hestia gave Lasey an offended look before she trotted over to jump onto the couch with Ryan and Grayson. Ryan smiled widely and opened up his arms for Hestia, who gladly wormed her way into his lap. Ryan kissed the top of Hestia’s head a few times and hugged her around the neck. “Aw, I love my Hesty baby. Best puppy in the world.”

Hestia simply licked Ryan’s cheeks happily, tail thumping against the couch as she wagged it. Grayson chuckled and reached around Ryan to pet Hestia as well, making her tail wag even harder.

“Aw, it’s like a little family,” Hayden giggled.

“Because we are,” Ryan huffed out as he made a face. “Don’t need nobody else.”

“Exactly,” Grayson agreed as he hugged Ryan tightly from behind and pressed his cheek to Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan giggled hysterically and turned his head to rest his cheek against Grayson’s hair.

“And now we know that Grayson is a cuddly drunk,” Lowell laughed. Grayson looked up with wide eyes and then pressed a finger to his lips.

“Sh, we don’t tell people that. There is nothing strange happening here,” Grayson whispered loudly. Ryan giggled again and scrunched up his nose at Grayson.

“Oh, he’s _that_ kind of drunk,” Hayden giggled. Grayson made a face at her and then flipped her off.

“You all talk about sex together when drunk, so you’re not one to judge,” Grayson told her.

“Dude! Sex!” Devin suddenly bugled with bright eyes. Lasey and Ryan both perked up as well while Hayden giggled.

“You’ve done it now, mate,” Lowell chuckled.

“Oh god, Ryan’s got that look on his face,” Hayden said. “He’s gonna talk about _the thing_.”

“What thing?” Grayson asked as he looked between everyone as they all turned to Ryan with excited eyes. Ryan huffed out a sigh and sagged against Grayson’s chest.

“ _The thing_ is his flexibility,” Devin said with a smirk directed at Grayson, whose eyebrows knit together.

“Yeah. You all know how I like to use it. Like, do you know how powerful it felt to be able to render your partner completely _speechless_ because you’re fucking them and sucking them at the same time?” Ryan asked dramatically. Grayson immediately froze, eyes wide and muscles locked onto place.

“But, I mean, autofellatio,” Hayden said with a flourish of her hand. Ryan flailed his hands in her direction before dropping them to his sides.

“Not the same result! That doesn’t get the completely _completely_ speechless result. That gets the pupils fully dilated and completely lust-filled look. _It’s not the same_ ,” Ryan told her.

“I mean, I find it pretty fucking fantastic,” Lasey said with a shrug. Devin preened then and leaned over to tuck his face into Lasey’s neck. Ryan rolled his eyes at them and shifted slightly on the couch with Hestia still in his lap.

“But that’s because you can’t have the same effect on people. You just like to watch Devin do it,” Ryan told her.

“Hell yeah, I do,” Lasey giggled as she pulled Devin into her lap to nip at his cheeks. Devin chuckled and hugged Lasey tightly as he burrowed back into her neck.

“Now, that is something I really did _not_ need to know,” Lowell breathed out. “I’ve heard quite a bit from you lot, but that’s a different level of strange.”

“Aw, baby,” Hayden cooed as she squished Lowell’s cheeks together before she kissed him.

“I’m just a little bit astonished that I apparently know two people who can bend clear in half,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan smirked predatorily back at Grayson.

“Never met anyone who could fuck you and suck you at the same time, huh?” Ryan asked. Grayson quirked an eyebrow and smiled despite his blush.

“I thought that would be obvious,” Grayson added. “On top of that, penetrative sex hasn’t ever been a part of my sex life either.”

“What? No!” Ryan gasped with wide eyes. “Grayson Hartwell, are you telling me you, as a gay man, have never had your prostate played with despite being sexually active?”

“Yes,” Grayson replied with one, lazy nod.

“That’s a tragedy!” Ryan yelped before he took Grayson’s face into his hands and looked him in the eye. “I am so sorry, Gray. I am so sorry you have never experienced such a wonderful thing. I hope that changes for you some day.”

“ _You_ could change that,” Hayden scoffed. Ryan rolled his eyes as he looked over at Hayden.

“Don’t be an idiot. That is not something to experience for the first time while either party is drunk,” Ryan retorted.

“Aw, baby brother’s got morals,” Lasey cooed.

“Of course,” Ryan sniffed out haughtily. “Also, drunk sex is not necessarily as good as sober sex.”

“That’s your opinion,” Hayden told him.

“I realize this,” Ryan replied. Hayden nodded once then.

“Well, as I don’t mind drunk sex and actually have my boyfriend at my disposal at the moment, I am going to take advantage,” Lasey said as she got up and pulled Devin with her. Devin followed Lasey eagerly with an excited expression.

“Be safe!” Ryan called out. “I don’t want to be a bio uncle this early into my life!”

“Yep!” Lasey and Devin both replied down the hallway.

“You’re so weird,” Grayson whispered out. Ryan turned to smile at Grayson then and squinted his eyes shut happily.

“I know,” Ryan added enthusiastically. Grayson giggled and pulled Ryan back into his lap to hug him tightly. Ryan giggled as well and wrapped himself around Grayson.

“God, you two are gross. You’re not even dating,” Hayden scoffed. “Like, I feel like Lowell and I are third-wheeling you guys.”

“Agreed,” Lowell chuckled.

“Oh _hush_ ,” Ryan said with an exaggerated eye roll. Hayden just waved a hand at Ryan before strutting off towards her room, pulling Lowell with her. Ryan giggled and then turned to look back at Grayson. “Movies in my room?”

“Yeah,” Grayson replied.

“Yay!” Ryan squeaked as he jumped up and pulled Grayson with him. Hestia made an annoyed noise as the movement before she followed them to Ryan’s room. Ryan immediately dropped down onto his bed and pulled the blankets around him. Grayson giggled at him and flopped down on top of Ryan.

Ryan squawked indignantly and attempted to shove Grayson off. Grayson just laughed and wrapped himself around Ryan. Ryan giggled and pinched at Grayson’s arm lightly.

“You’re supposed to be picking a movie, you lamer,” Ryan informed. Grayson made a small noise and nuzzled into the back of Ryan’s neck.

“Forget the movie. Cuddling is better,” Grayson breathed. Ryan shivered slightly as Grayson’s breath washed across the back of his neck and curled up more in his blanket.

“We could be watching a movie _and_ cuddling, but you’re not picking out a movie,” Ryan stated.

“Nah. Just cuddling,” Grayson hummed sleepily. Ryan giggled and wiggled around slightly in order to look at Grayson’s face. Grayson had his eyes closed and was smiling slightly. He cracked one eye open then to peek up at Ryan and his smile broadened. Ryan smiled back before he settled into Grayson’s arm.

“You win this round, Hartwell,” Ryan whispered as he closed his eyes as well. Grayson released a happy hum while he squeezed Ryan’s shoulders briefly.

“I can always win you over with cuddles, Castellan,” Grayson said as he shifted his head in order to nuzzle between Ryan’s shoulder blades.

“Because you’re so good with them,” Ryan replied easily as he reached out to pull his comforter over both of their bodies. Grayson simply hummed in agreement as he released a long, content breath.

“You’re good with them too,” Grayson added.

“It’s why we’re cuddle buddies,” Ryan informed quietly. Grayson nodded against Ryan’s back as he moved his arms to around Ryan’s waist.

“No more talking. Sleeping,” Grayson whispered. “Sleep, sleep, sleep.”

“Sleep,” Ryan agreed in a whisper as he wiggled back against Grayson. Grayson made a small noise and squeezed Ryan’s waist quickly before they both settled into the mattress and quickly fell asleep.

000000

“I am having so many flashbacks to pictures of Daddy and Papa during the summer after they graduated high school,” Lasey huffed out as she looked around herself at the students sitting on the stage and making props for A Very Potter Musical.

“I feel like I’m _living_ those pictures,” Ryan said with a smile as he flipped through his phone to get to the picture of the [sandwich bomb](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ee/c8/ac/eec8ac56bd63d972fb205ee5917ca610.jpg). Lasey made a small noise and leaned back on her palms. “I also hate you because you don’t have anything to do until Thursday.”

“That’s just this week. Most weeks I am going all of the time,” Lasey replied as she smiled and bumped her shoulder into Alessandra’s as Alessandra sat down next to her.

“Mmh. Oh, and when you get home, talk to Daddy and Papa about donating a piano. Shanna refuses to talk to them about it,” Ryan said. Lasey heaved out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

“Tell Shanna that she’s dumb,” Lasey commented.

“Ryan basically did on Friday,” Alessandra giggled. Ryan hummed in agreement as he held his hand out for a piece of cardboard and a pencil. Marna giggled as she skipped by and handed the materials to Ryan.

“Thanks, Mar,” Ryan said as he dropped the cardboard to the floor between his outstretched legs.

“Yep!” Marna replied as she skipped off behind the wings.

“So, are you guys making all of the props yourselves?” Lasey asked.

“Attempting to. We want it to look as much like the original AVPM as we can,” Alessandra answered. “I mean, obviously we’ll have mics and a larger budget, but we want it to look like _we_ put it together.”

“Yep,” Ryan agreed happily as he attempted to start to sketch out the image he had brought up on his phone. Lasey giggled as she watched Ryan struggle.

“You have so much artistic ability, but none of it applies to your drawing skills,” Lasey said.

“You know what? Fuck you,” Ryan told her. Lasey hummed while she smirked.

“Mmh. That’s Devin’s job. He does a good job,” Lasey added.

“If I was dating someone who looked like you I’d do a good job too,” Alessandra snorted. Ryan smiled and shook his head.

“Stop objectifying my sister’s body,” Ryan told Alessandra, who heaved out a sigh.

“I let my sister objectify _your_ body, though,” Alessandra countered.

“What the fuck?” Ryan yelped out as he looked over at Alessandra with wide eyes. Alessandra snorted and turned back to what she was supposed to be drawing.

“Just sayin’,” she added in a quiet giggle.

“Aw, you know you’re attractive, baby brother,” Lasey cooed as she reached out to nudge Ryan’s foot with her own. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Lasey off.

“Ah! What?” Ryan squeaked then as someone dropped down behind him and immediately wrapped their arms tightly around his waist, face hidden between his shoulder blades.

“God, what the hell, dude?” a voice panted.

“Shut up,” Grayson’s voice mumbled against Ryan’s back. Ryan relaxed then as he placed a hand on one of Grayson’s legs, which bracketed his own. Lasey eyed Ryan and Grayson curiously, head tilted a bit to the side.

“I want an explanation, you colossal weirdo,” the same voice said stubbornly. Grayson sighed and lifted his head slightly to rest his chin on Ryan’s shoulder. Lasey inspected Grayson’s face then before understanding washed over her features.

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Lasey asked. Grayson pursed his lips and nodded in response. “Yeah. You got the same look Devin does whenever he sees that asshole. Just pure rage mixed with the need to make sure Ry’s okay.”

“I can assure you that I’m fine,” Ryan whispered as he leaned his head against Grayson’s. Grayson simply hummed and squeezed Ryan’s waist.

“I needed to see for myself,” Grayson replied quietly. Ryan smiled and pat at Grayson’s hands that were clasped around his abdomen.

“Thanks,” Ryan said as he leaned his weight back against Grayson briefly.

“Excuse _me_ , but I would still like an _explanation_ ,” a woman said forcefully as she dropped down onto the stage across from Ryan and Grayson in order to glare at Grayson. “You were perfectly fine and then you were in a panic and charged your way over here. I didn’t even know you knew where this building _was_.”

“God, shut up, Shannon,” Grayson grumbled.

“No,” Shannon replied tersely. “I want an explanation.”

“Whatever,” Grayson breathed. “Anyway, Ryan, this is one of my roommates, Shannon. She’s the reason I showed up in glasses that last day of set. Shans, this is Ryan.”

“I know perfectly well who he is, Grayson. You…” Shannon started.

“You shut your mouth and don’t continue your statement unless you want me to piss on your bed again,” Grayson threatened. Ryan practically cackled then as he slapped Grayson’s knee.

“You peed in your roommate’s bed?” Ryan bugled. Grayson smiled slightly and rolled his eyes.

“I was most definitely wasted at the time,” Grayson answered.

“Aw, too bad. Pissing in someone’s bed is great payback,” Lasey sighed out. Alessandra looked at Lasey strangely then while Shannon rolled her eyes. Lasey looked over at Alessandra and shrugged. “My roommate was terrible. There’s a reason I moved back in with my parents. Plus, Devin was the one who peed on the bed, not me.”

“This conversation has taken a weird turn,” Shannon stated. “I still want an explanation.”

Grayson ignored her in favor of staring down at the cardboard in front of Ryan in horror.

“What in the hell is _that_ supposed to be?” Grayson asked. Ryan heaved out a sigh while Lasey and Alessandra both snorted with laughter.

“This,” Ryan breathed as he showed Grayson the image on his phone.

“Good god, Ryan. You should not be allowed to draw. Give it here,” Grayson said as he held out his hands for the cardboard, pencil, and phone. Ryan rolled his eyes and handed everything to Grayson. Grayson hummed and kissed Ryan’s cheek quickly in thanks before he scooted back a bit in order to use Ryan’s back to place the cardboard on. Ryan giggled and wiggled around a bit. Grayson grunted and stilled Ryan with one hand before he went back to drawing. Shannon watched them carefully before she turned her full attention on Ryan.

“So, I’m guessing you’re the reason why Hartwell over there was hell-bent on getting here. I wanna know what happened. One second he was fine, next second he saw some dude and then bolted here,” Shannon said.

“Yeah. He most likely saw my ex. Absolutely terrible human being. Grayson met him for the first time on Friday,” Ryan told her.

“ _Absolutely terrible_ is putting it nicely, Ry,” Lasey breathed out as she laid back on the stage and covered her forehead with her arms. Ryan rolled his eyes and kicked at Lasey’s foot.

“I know this,” Ryan added.

“Just making sure,” Lasey chirped as she lifted one arm to look over at Ryan. Ryan shook his head at Lasey and then turned to look at Shannon.

“It’s nice to finally meet one of Grayson’s roommates,” Ryan said as he smiled at her. Shannon smiled widely and shifted to get more comfortable on the stage.

“It’s nice to finally meet the person Grayson spent all summer talking about,” Shannon replied.

“ _Shannon_ ,” Grayson growled warningly. Shannon rolled her eyes before she looked over at Ryan.

“Like you couldn’t guess. I mean, when I first got back to our apartment it looked like no one had been living there,” Shannon scoffed. “It still seems like a miracle when Grayson spends the night in our apartment.”

“You’re a terrible person and I hate you and I will piss in your bed sober this time,” Grayson said easily as he continued to draw. Ryan snorted and shook his head while Shannon rolled her eyes.

“I’m basically your sister. I exist to give you a hard time, dude,” Shannon added.

“Sounds like Devin’s justification any time he gets on Ryan’s nerves,” Alessandra giggled.

“It’s the best justification for anything,” Lasey chirped.

“Yeah, but I already have three older siblings to do the job. I don’t need Shannon as well,” Grayson countered with a sigh.

“Too bad, numb nuts,” Shannon retorted with a smirk.

“God, I hate you. There’s a reason I don’t tell you things,” Grayson breathed. Shannon laughed hysterically then and reached over to slap Grayson’s foot.

“Ah, did he tell you about our drunken escapades from Saturday night?” Lasey asked with a bright smile. Shannon smiled back and nodded. “Yeah. That’s some good shit.”

“Wait, what happened?” Ryan asked. Lasey smirked as she looked over at Ryan with a mischievous grin on her face.

“You talked about _the thing_ ,” Lasey told him. Ryan’s eyes immediately widened while Alessandra eyed him curiously.

“I did not,” Ryan gasped.

“Oh, but you did,” Lasey giggled in response. Ryan groaned loudly and slouched a bit.

“Wait, what’s _the thing_?” Alessandra asked as she looked between all of them. Ryan immediately huffed out a breath while Lasey barked out a laugh and Grayson blushed furiously as he released a cough.

“ _The thing_ is a certain skill Ryan has that he quite enjoys utilizing,” Lasey answered as she smirked over at Ryan. “He likes to talk about it when he’s in this certain state of drunkenness where he is totally lucid yet doesn’t remember what happened the next day. My baby brother is a strange one.”

“Says the one who admitted to enjoying said _thing_ from her own boyfriend,” Grayson countered. Lasey scoffed and waved a hand around.

“Of course I enjoy it. If you ever get to witness it, you will understand,” Lasey told him. Grayson blushed furiously again while Shannon giggled and reached forward to pat Grayson’s calf. Ryan watched the interaction and then turned to Grayson with narrowed eyes. Grayson stared back in shock, eyes wide.

“You told your roommate about it?” Ryan asked. Grayson simply continued to stare with wide eyes. “That was talked about in the sanctity of my apartment! What happens in the drunken Castellan apartment does not leave the drunken Castellan apartment! It’s like Vegas!”

“Oh, Ryan,” Lasey crooned. “Don’t be naïve. That’s something that was likely to be told to close friends.”

“Oo, what juicy thing are we talking about?” Matt asked as he skipped over and dropped to the stage next to Alessandra.

“Apparently some _thing_ Ryan can do,” Alessandra replied with a shrug. Matt looked over at Ryan with an eager smile.

“No,” Ryan immediately shot out. Matt’s expression fell before he noticed Grayson sitting behind Ryan.

“And who is this?” Matt asked in interest as he sat back on his butt and inspected Grayson, who shifted uncomfortably under Matt’s gaze before he went back to drawing.

“Oh, Gray, this is Matt. Matt, this is Grayson. He’s the duck penis guy,” Ryan said as he gestured between them. Matt’s eyes lit back up then while Grayson floundered slightly.

“God! How many people know about this damn duck penis thing?” Grayson squawked as Shannon began to laugh manically. Lasey sat up in interest then and looked over at Grayson with a wide smile.

“ _You’re duck penis guy_?” she asked excitedly. Grayson simply glared at Ryan who smiled innocently.

“You can honestly blame Hayds for everyone who knows here,” Ryan told him. “The theater crew is because she ran here after that class to tell me and Lase is because Hayds told the story to Luca and Caron last summer.”

“Remind me to kill her later,” Grayson grumbled as he went back to drawing. Ryan simply hummed and pat Grayson’s thigh.

“Mkay,” Ryan added. Matt watched the interaction and then beamed at Ryan.

“ _Oh_ , I see now,” Matt giggled. Alessandra smiled and nodded at Matt.

“Oh, so, like, _everyone_ knows, huh?” Shannon asked.

“Yeah,” Alessandra replied.

“They’re just idiots,” Lasey chirped.

“And you’re a demon,” Ryan told her.

“Just to you, baby brother,” Lasey said with a wide smile. Ryan rolled his eyes even as he smiled at her.

“Oo, I didn’t realize you were Ryan’s sister! Come with me. I want to exchange information,” Shannon squeaked as she jumped up. Lasey smiled as she got up and then looked over at Grayson.

“I like her, Grayson. Don’t let her leave,” Lasey commented before she followed Shannon. Grayson simply waved a hand in their direction.

“Are you done yet?” Ryan asked.

“Almost,” Grayson replied as he shifted forward slightly. Ryan made a small noise and grabbed onto Grayson’s thighs. Grayson froze for a second then before he released a breath and then continued on.

“What are you even doing?” Matt asked as he sprawled out on his stomach.

“Fixing the atrocity of a drawing that Ryan was attempting to do,” Grayson replied before he revealed the cardboard to Ryan with a flourish. Ryan gaped as he took the cardboard into his hands before he looked back at Grayson who was grinning widely.

“What the fuck, dude. This is better than the one they had in the original,” Ryan huffed out as he turned back to the drawing. Grayson huffed out a small laugh and hooked his chin over Ryan’s shoulder.

“I told you I was an art student,” Grayson replied.

“Yeah, but you never said _drawing_ art. Like, _holy shit_ ,” Ryan said. Grayson chuckled and hugged Ryan’s waist.

“Hayden’s specialty is photography. Mine is drawing and painting,” Grayson hummed.

“God, that’s so attractive,” Ryan gasped out quietly before he realized what he said and blushed furiously. Alessandra and Matt both giggled while Matt crawled over to pluck the cardboard out of Ryan’s hands.

“Well, singing and dancing is attractive, so you’ve got that,” Grayson chuckled in a low voice as he shifted his chin slightly, scruff scraping across Ryan’s neck. Ryan repressed a shiver and glanced back at Grayson. Grayson simply smiled and scrunched up his nose a bit.

“You’re ridiculous,” Ryan whispered. Grayson’s smile widened as he squinted his eyes shut.

“Thanks,” Grayson added. Ryan giggled then before he kissed the tip of Grayson’s nose. Grayson startled slightly then but didn’t have any other time to retaliated as Alessandra made an excited noise.

“Grayson! You’re seriously talented!” she squeaked in excitement. Grayson turned his attention towards her then, chin still propped on Ryan’s shoulder.

“I mean, one of my majors is art,” Grayson chuckled. Alessandra rolled her eyes even though she was smiling.

“You should seriously help us with some of the other stuff. We could use your talents,” she told him.

“I’ll think about it,” Grayson replied. “If only to save you from Ryan’s _horrific_ drawing skills.”

“You’re a dick,” Ryan grumbled as he jabbed his elbow back to hit Grayson in the ribs.

“I’ve got one,” Grayson immediately shot back.

“Woooow, I had _no idea_ , Mr Commando in Gym Shorts15,” Ryan retorted sarcastically. Grayson’s eyes widened then as a deep flush spread across his ears and cheeks. Matt and Alessandra both smirked at them while Ryan quirked an eyebrow at Grayson.

“Wh- _what_?” Grayson finally coughed out. Ryan simply gave Grayson a mischievous smirk.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Every. Time,” Ryan whispered at Grayson before he gracefully got up and flaunted off with a swing in his hips. Grayson simply stared after Ryan with his jaw dropped. Alessandra and Matt both giggled.

“Dude, you’re so fucked,” Matt commented with a snort. Grayson simply nodded slowly in agreement, eyes still glued to Ryan as Ryan continued on his path towards Lasey and Shannon.

000000

“Hestia, c’mon,” Ryan urged as he walked through the room to try and get to the table he was supposed to be at with Grayson. Hestia made a disgruntled noise and Ryan sighed as he tugged on her harness lightly. Hestia yipped and then caught up to Ryan in order to practically latch herself to his leg. Ryan smiled and scratched the top of her head quickly.

“Ryan, you’re late!” Lydia scolded as she saw him.

“I know. This one had a vet appointment right beforehand and we hit traffic,” Ryan told her as he walked up and held up Hestia’s leash. Lydia smiled and rolled her eyes.

“Just get to your table with Grayson!” she called out. Ryan saluted her as he kept walking.

“Hey, Ry,” Grayson greeted. Ryan hummed as he dropped into his chair next to Grayson and draped one leg over one of Grayson’s. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes even as he placed a hand on Ryan’s thigh.

“Hello,” Ryan added as he slouched into the chair.

“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Castellan,” the interviewer, Drew, chuckled. Ryan smiled innocently and then tugged on Hestia’s leash lightly.

“This one had a vet appointment,” Ryan replied before he pat his lap. “C’mon, Hesty. Up.”

“Oh god,” Grayson grunted as Hestia jumped up to sprawl across both their laps. Hestia licked Grayson’s cheek once before she settled down, chin rested on the table so she could stare across at Drew.

“Sorry, Gray. She’s clingy after shots,” Ryan chuckled as he pat Hestia’s back leg. Hestia huffed out a breath and wagged her tail once. Grayson just smiled and reached out to scratch her cheek lightly. Drew watched both of them and smiled.

“Are we ready to go?” Drew asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, sorry, Drew,” Ryan chuckled as he smiled. Drew shook his head and then placed a small recording device on the table before he pulled out his phone. “Oo, are we doing fan questions today?”

“Yes,” Drew replied. Ryan giggled happily and bounced slightly. Grayson sighed and placed a hand on top of Ryan’s head.

“Calm down, Ry,” Grayson breathed. Ryan made a face and slapped Grayson’s hand away before he settled back into his seat. Drew chuckled and shook his head as he scrolled through his phone.

“It seems as if one of the most popular questions is about your college career, Grayson,” Drew hummed as he looked over at Grayson.

“Like, in what way?” Grayson asked in confusion.

“Oh my god. Year. Major. Your plans afterwards,” Ryan said as he reached over to pull lightly at Grayson’s ear. Grayson grunted and slapped at Ryan’s hand before he turned to Drew.

“Well, I am a junior double majoring in biology and art. As for after I graduate? Who knows. Use the money I’m making from this movie to pay off my loans and then find a job16,” Grayson said to answer the question.

“Those are strange majors to pair together,” Drew commented.

“Yeah, I know. One of Ryan’s roommates is the same, she just does photography rather than drawing and painting,” Grayson said with a shrug.

“Yeah. Hayden’s the weird one of my apartment. Devin and I are both involved with movies and such,” Ryan breathed out as he pet Hestia’s back slowly. Drew nodded as he looked through his phone again, searching for another question.

“So, the fans want to know just how fast you guys became friends,” Drew said as he smiled up at Ryan and Grayson, who exchanged a look.

“Mmh, pretty fast. We found out we both go to Swat on the first day on set and it just kind-of spiraled from there,” Grayson said with a shrug.

“Yeah. A few weeks after we started on set was when he first came to the apartment. The friendship furthered from there because Grayson voluntarily picked out Princess and the Frog to watch,” Ryan chirped happily. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he slouched down in his seat slightly, causing Hestia to grunt stubbornly.

“Disney movies, _nice_ ,” Drew chuckled as he quirked an eyebrow at Ryan who smiled innocently in response. Grayson snorted with laughter and shook his head.

“Disney movies seem to be a staple in the Castellan family if Ryan, Lasey, Luca, and the twins are anything to go by,” Grayson added.

“Aw, you’re learning!” Ryan praised as he leaned over to rest his head on Grayson’s shoulder briefly. Grayson smiled and shook his head while he touched his head to Ryan’s.

“Moving on,” Drew said as he raised his eyebrows at Ryan and Grayson. Ryan giggled and lifted his head from Grayson’s shoulder while Grayson blushed. “Oo, this is a good one.”

“Hit me!” Ryan chirped happily. Drew snorted and shook his head.

“The fans heard that _sex_ could be a popular topic between takes. Care to comment on that?” Drew asked with a smirk. Ryan dropped his jaw dramatically then as he looked at Drew.

“Well, I mean, we all know that [_I_ haven’t had sex](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/80608495808),” Ryan started, only to be cut off by a loud snort from Grayson, who quickly covered his both with both hands. Drew snorted as well as he bit at his bottom lip. Ryan looked between the both of them with a feigned shocked expression. “Well, _I never_.”

“Ryan, I’ve heard you tell your younger siblings a story about a unicorn/zombie apocalypse17, but _that_ was the biggest load of shit to ever come from your mouth,” Drew laughed. Ryan broke into a [wide smile](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/131350726409/fucklinski-tyler-hoechlin-being-helplessly) then and giggled with a scrunched nose.

“I know,” Ryan squeaked out. “But it is so much fun to break you during interviews.”

“God, you’re a dick,” Drew breathed out. “And you can _guarantee_ that I am leaving that in.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Ryan replied with a wide smile. Grayson simply shook his head and as he pinched the bridge of his nose and continued to chuckle.

“You’re such a weirdo,” Grayson finally breathed out.

“Yep!” Ryan chirped happily as he looked back at Drew, who shook his head at Ryan.

“Shall we move on now?” Drew asked. Ryan nodded once. “Okay. What current projects are you guys working on?”

“The musical,” they both answered in unison.

“I mean, Ryan’s involvement is obvious, but he sucked me in to make props,” Grayson added with a shrug.

“It was completely your fault, dude. You’re the one who stole the sandwich bomb away from me,” Ryan defended.

“Which was a good thing. You were _mutilating_ it,” Grayson barked out. Ryan released a loud laugh and bumped his shoulder into Grayson’s.

“This is why we don’t deal with artists. All they do is criticize your work,” Ryan huffed out. Grayson rolled his eyes and shoved Ryan lightly.

“You’re an artist in your own way, shut up,” Grayson retorted with an eye roll. Ryan smiled and bumped their shoulders together once more.

“Mkay, guys. Next one,” Drew breathed out as he came to a stop on his phone screen. “Ryan, people want to know why Devin and Hayden hate your Toothless onesie so much.”

“Mostly because they’re embarrassed by it and I wore it to class one day freshman year,” Ryan answered with a shrug. “Second semester freshman year wasn’t the best time and that onesie is a comfort thing since my dads got it for me after some stuff happened. After I wore it to class, though, Devin and Hayden confiscated it. They tend to hide is from me unless they deem the situation fit.”

“Though, I can also tell you that Ryan hid it from them after the last time they allowed him to wear it,” Grayson laughed. Ryan smiled smugly then and nodded once.

“So a battle of the onesie has commenced?” Drew asked. Ryan narrowed his eyes and nodded once more.

“Yes,” Ryan hissed out.

“Though, of what I have seen, Ryan can be quite mischievous when he wants to be,” Grayson hummed.

“Yep! I learned from the best!” Ryan chirped happily. “And by that I mean Lasey taught me how to evade our dads. She helped me hide the onesie when she came to visit a bit ago.”

“What a peach,” Grayson deadpanned. Ryan smiled and quirked an eyebrow at Grayson.

“You’re just mad because she teased you,” Ryan commented.

“Yep. I already have three older siblings and three roommates that do that. I don’t need someone else’s sister poking fun at me as well,” Grayson replied.

“Oh, how sweet and innocent,” Ryan cooed as he pat Grayson’s cheek. “You stepped in it as soon as you befriended Devin and me.”

“You’ve got me there,” Grayson admitted with a small tip of his head. Ryan smiled smugly and looked back over at Drew, who snorted and shook his head.

“You Castellans just suck people in, don’t you?” Drew asked.

“Uh huh!” Ryan chirped brightly as he scrunched up his nose.

“Unfortunately,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan made a stubborn noise then pinched Grayson’s arm.

“You’re the one who spends most of your time at my place,” Ryan hissed. “Can’t deny that, dude.”

“Just because I’m friends with you guys doesn’t mean you’re not menaces,” Grayson countered as he pinched Ryan back.

“Boys, are you even answering Drew’s questions?” Lydia asked as she walked up behind them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Ryan and Grayson both startled and looked up at her with wide eyes. “Those expressions are very telling.”

“Don’t worry, Lydia. They have answered the questions I have asked,” Drew assured her with a smile. “Sure, they go off on tangents, but it’s adorable.”

“Oh, I am _so_ getting you involved in our poll from this summer,” Lydia giggled then with a mischievous smirk.

“Wait, what?” Ryan asked in shock then as he looked up at Lydia while Drew smiled widely.

“Don’t worry about it, hon,” Lydia hummed as she ruffled Ryan’s hair. “You in, Drew?”

“We’ll discuss it when we’re done,” Drew replied simply as he turned back to his phone. Ryan and Grayson exchanged wide eyed looks then before looking between Lydia and Drew.

“Should we be worried?” Ryan asked.

“No. Devin is also in on this. He would never do something to cause you harm,” Lydia hummed as she pat Ryan’s cheek and then walked off. Drew chuckled and shook his head while Grayson and Ryan exchanged another look.

“Don’t worry about it, boys,” Drew said. “Now, back to questions.”

“Aye, aye, Drew,” Ryan giggled as he and Grayson both settled back into their chairs to prepare for more questions.

000000

“Ryan, you need to _slow down_ ,” Marna complained loudly from her spot near the back of the group. “We’re not all dancing prodigies like you are!”

“Seriously,” Danny breathed from beside Marna as he shook his shirt slightly. “I can’t keep up with you, dude.”

“No one can,” Alessandra snorted as she practically collapsed onto the stage. Ryan sighed heavily and placed his hands on his hips as he looked out at the group as they all slowly collapsed onto the stage. Grayson snorted with laughter then, trying to cover it up with a cough. Ryan turned quickly to glare at Grayson with narrowed eyes. Grayson simply continued to look down at what he was drawing as a smile played across his face.

“And just _what_ is so funny?” Ryan asked. Grayson finally looked up then and raised an eyebrow at Ryan.

“What’s funny is that you just _expect_ people to keep up with you,” Grayson replied. “Like, you’re basically a professional. You can’t expect people to be the same.”

“Yeah! Exactly!” Matt exclaimed in agreement.

“Yeah. Some of us _are_ freshmen, you know,” Trina commented. “I mean, sure, we’ve all had instruction before, but we never started out just _knowing_ what we needed to do. That’s the point of rehearsals.”

“Aw, Ry, are you working these kiddies too hard?” Devin asked as he walked onto the stage.

“Yes,” everyone answered in unison. Devin chuckled and slapped a hand to Ryan’s shoulder.

“Fear not. The great Grayson Hartwell summoned me to save you,” Devin told them. Ryan rolled his eyes and punched Devin in the side as Devin shoved him.

“You’re a dick,” Ryan told Devin before he stalked off towards Grayson. “You are also a dick.”

“Mmh, we’ve had this conversation,” Grayson replied airily as he went back to drawing. Ryan grunted and then pulled off his sweaty shirt to throw in Grayson’s face. Grayson startled and leaned back quickly as he grabbed the shirt away from his face. “What the hell?”

“That’s what you get for being rude and not paying attention to me,” Ryan sniffed out stubbornly.

“God, what are you? Five?” Grayson asked as he stared at Ryan, who smiled widely and nodded once.

“Yep!” Ryan added. Grayson rolled his eyes and threw Ryan’s shirt back at him before he turned back to drawing. “What props are you working on?”

“The [dragons](https://56.media.tumblr.com/63a0cbd7be6e185f5914e0cc4bc2d962/tumblr_o0uoggvaJ31qg4ts8o1_1280.jpg),” Grayson replied as he glanced at a picture on his phone quickly before turning back to the cardboard in front of him. Ryan hummed and scooted over to sit behind Grayson and hook his chin over Grayson’s shoulder.

“You’re the best for doing this, by the way,” Ryan said as he draped his arms around Grayson’s waist.

“No problem,” Grayson replied as he nudged his head into Ryan’s lightly. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and did the same in response before he leaned heavily into Grayson’s back. “God, you literally never stop cuddling, do you?”

“Nope,” Ryan chirped happily in response as he nuzzled into Grayson’s neck. Grayson simply chuckled and shook his head before turning back to the drawings in front of him while they both ignored the sounds of Devin teaching the kids choreography for a number.

“Dude, Grayson!” a guy screamed as he burst through the theater doors looking excited. Grayson looked up then with furrowed eyebrows.

“Kaleb, what the hell? How did you even know where I was?” Grayson asked as the guy bound up onto the stage to shove Grayson’s drawing stuff aside and then collapse in their place. Grayson made a stubborn noise and went to reach for the materials, only to get his hands slapped at.

“I asked Shannon where you were most likely to be,” Kaleb said in a breathless huff. “But _beside the point_.”

“ _What_ then?” Grayson asked in annoyance. Kaleb smiled widely and then rummaged around in his backpack before he shoved a magazine into Grayson’s face. Grayson released a sigh while Ryan made an interested noise and shifted his face to look over Grayson’s shoulder.

“You’re on a magazine, dude!” Kaleb exclaimed as he bounced in place.

“I can’t believe Lydia and Josh didn’t tell me that this came out today,” Ryan breathed in offence as he grabbed the magazine from Grayson’s hands to look at it.

“Of course that’s your first thought,” Grayson snorted as he glanced back at Ryan, who smiled widely and nodded once before he returned his attention to the magazine.

“It’s a good [picture](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/68/b9/06/68b9063eeeaf367d0c1c101c1d016bb6.jpg), though,” Ryan hummed thoughtfully. Grayson made a small noise in agreement before he turned back to look at Kaleb who was staring with wide eyes.

“Y’all are on a magazine and the most you can say is that it’s a good picture?” Kaleb squawked.

“Dude, I spent all summer on a movie set with people I’ve seen plastered across magazines for years. It’s not a big deal,” Grayson told Kaleb.

“God, this is so anticlimactic,” Kaleb breathed dramatically.

“Just like my sex life,” Ryan deadpanned as he flipped through the magazine. Grayson snorted loudly then while Kaleb finally turned his attention to Ryan. Ryan felt the gaze and looked up to flash a smile in Kaleb’s direction. “Hi, I’m Ryan!”

Kaleb simply stared at Ryan and blinked a few times before he turned his gaze to Grayson.

“I thought you were lying,” Kaleb breathed.

“We both know I never lie about such things,” Grayson replied as he grabbed his drawing materials. “Anyway, Ry, this is one of my other roommates, Kaleb. Kaleb, as you obviously know, this is Ryan. He’s a giant pain in my ass.”

“But sadly not in the sexual way,” Ryan sighed dramatically even as he flipped through the magazine.

“Seriously. Do you ever have a filter?” Grayson asked.

“You know that _this_ is me having one,” Ryan replied airily.

“True,” Grayson agreed before he looked up at Kaleb, who was staring back with a raised eyebrow. “Unless you want to hear about sexual things in detail, never hang around a buzzed Ryan.”

“Oh, hush. You know you enjoy it,” Ryan giggled as he looked up from the magazine to flash a smile at Grayson. Grayson rolled his eyes and pinched Ryan’s leg in response.

“Man, I totally thought Shannon was lying about this ridiculousness,” Kaleb said as he flopped out onto his back. Grayson snorted and reached out to pat Kaleb’s abdomen lightly.

“Good man not believing it, but also what a fool for not believing it,” Grayson told him. Kaleb sighed heavily and then nodded in agreement.

“I know,” Kaleb added. “How silly of me.”

“So, where’s Ellie if you’re here?” Grayson asked. Kaleb made a disgusted noise then and sat back up.

“She was bringing some dude back to the apartment. I didn’t want to be there to listen to whatever is gonna go down,” Kaleb sighed.

“Smart man,” Grayson replied.

“Is she that bad?” Ryan asked.

“Yes,” Grayson and Kaleb said in unison.

“She rivals what I heard from Lasey and Devin the other week when we got back to your apartment on Tuesday,” Grayson said as he glanced back at Ryan.

“ _Damn_ ,” Ryan gasped out. Grayson hummed and nodded as he focused on drawing. “So, Kaleb, what’s your major?”

“Medieval studies,” Kaleb answered as he leaned back on his palms.

“Yeah, he’s a _nerd_ ,” Grayson chuckled.

“You’re the double major!” Kaleb exclaimed in an offended tone. Grayson flashed Kaleb a quick smile before he immediately turned back to drawing.

“I’m also a double major,” Ryan said with a slight pout.

“Oh yeah? I’m guessing theater. What else?” Kaleb asked.

“Dance,” Ryan replied with a wide smile.

“Unfortunately he’s a _terrible_ teacher sometimes,” Devin chuckled as he bounced over and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Dick,” Ryan grumbled as he punched Devin’s leg.

“Lucky for me, you like dick,” Devin sniped with a wide smile. Ryan rolled his eyes and pinched Devin’s thigh. “Now, c’mon. We’re going cool down free dance.”

“However, I do not like your dick. Your dick is my sister’s forte,” Ryan said.

“I know. I also know which dick you do like and…” Devin started.

“Wow! Cool down free dance? Let’s go!” Ryan exclaimed loudly over Devin as he scrambled up from the floor to dart across the stage. Devin laughed loudly as he followed after Ryan, throwing a kiss and a wink over his shoulder in Grayson’s direction. Grayson idly flipped Devin off while Kaleb watched the interaction gleefully.

“You’re so easy to manipulate,” Devin chuckled. Ryan pursed his lips and tugged at Devin’s ear. Devin squawked indignantly and reached out to try and pull Ryan into a headlock. Ryan cackled and dodged Devin before he began to body roll.

“Just gonna body roll away from you, asshole!” Ryan called out.

“You can body roll your way right over to me,” Josiah crooned with a wink. Ryan smirked and did just that, immediately sidling up to Josiah when he reached him. Josiah winked again as he placed his hands lightly on Ryan’s hips. Ryan smiled and draped his arms over Josiah’s shoulders as the continued to dance. Josiah chuckled as he looked over Ryan’s shoulder.

“What?” Ryan asked, eyebrows knitting together. Josiah chuckled again and leaned in a bit to whisper in Ryan’s ear.

“Grayson looks like he wants to murder me,” Josiah answered. “I don’t know why you’re so worried about his feelings towards you. Seriously, if looks could kill I would be dead right now.”

“Shut up,” Ryan hissed as he blushed slightly.

“No. Look at him,” Josiah replied as he indicated carefully with his chin. Ryan sighed and then carefully glanced over his shoulder to see Grayson staring with narrowed, irritated eyes. Ryan turned back around quickly and made a face at Josiah, who chuckled and then pulled Ryan into a tight hug. “You’re adorable.”

“Shut up,” Ryan repeated in annoyance as he shoved away from Josiah while Josiah laughed.

“You’re too easy, Ry,” Josiah added with a wink as he walked towards Marna. Ryan flipped Josiah off before he walked over to Devin. Devin smirked when he noticed Ryan’s approach and then glanced at Grayson quickly.

“Bro definitely wanted to turn Josiah into a kebab just now,” Devin commented. Ryan rolled his eyes and waved a hand.

“I’ve already heard it from Josiah,” Ryan breathed as he let out a deep breath and leaned against the wall and watched the others flit and dance around the stage as they laughed.

“You could go for it, you know?” Devin asked as he leaned against the wall next to Ryan. “He clearly has feelings for you.”

“I can’t though, Devin,” Ryan breathed out as he looked towards where Grayson was now smiling and talking with Kaleb. “There are just too many things that could go wrong.”

“That’s always a possibility with relationships, man,” Devin said as he pressed their shoulders together. Ryan made a small noise and rested his head on Devin’s shoulder.

“I know, but I don’t want things to go wrong with him, y’know? I value him as a friend too much. I would rather have him as a good friend than someone I dated and then had a falling out with,” Ryan breathed. Devin hummed and rested his head against Ryan’s.

“While I understand where you’re coming from, I don’t think that would be an issue with the two of you. You both clearly love each other,” Devin informed Ryan. “Avalon wasn’t wrong when she told Lasey that Grayson looks at you like your dads look at each other. I could swear you hung the moon sometimes purely based on how he looks at you. He wouldn’t be another Eric, Ryan. He wouldn’t.”

“I know,” Ryan breathed out.

“But do you?” Devin asked in all seriousness. “I want you to understand that he wouldn’t do to you what Eric did. When he asked me about it and I told him about the time I came back to our dorm to find you crying and bruised, I had to _physically restrain him_. He was ready to go out, find Eric, and beat the shit out of him. You don’t do that for someone you don’t love and care about, okay? That guy would go to the ends of the earth for you, which includes beating the shit out of your asshole of an ex.”

“He still doesn’t know about the other stuff,” Ryan whispered as he closed his eyes. Devin heaved out a sigh and reached up to bury his fingers in Ryan’s hair.

“Do you think that would honestly make a difference to him?” Devin asked quietly. “I personally think it would make him want to beat up Eric even more and then come home to make sure you know that you’re loved.”

Ryan took a deep breath then and leaned further into Devin for a few seconds. Devin simply allowed Ryan to do so, fingers still twined through Ryan’s hair.

“Think about it, okay? Grayson’s a good guy and I’m pretty sure he loves you just as much as you love him, even if you’re both too chicken shit to admit it to the other,” Devin whispered before he kissed Ryan’s forehead. Ryan simply nodded in agreement as he leaned further into Devin once again.

“Thanks, Dev,” Ryan said quietly. Devin gave a small chuckle and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“You’re basically my brother. It’s what I’m here for,” Devin added before he shoved away from the wall. “Now, c’mon. They all said they want to work on the opening number.”

“Mkay,” Ryan said as he pushed away from the wall as well and grabbed onto Devin’s hand to follow behind him. Devin simply smiled and squeezed Ryan’s hand as they walked. Ryan smiled back and then turned to look at Grayson. Grayson looked up as he felt Ryan’s gaze and gave him a genuine smile. Ryan did the same in response before he fell into step with Devin and walked behind the wings where the others had disappeared.

000000

“No! Grayson! Don’t touch it!” Ryan squawked as he tried to slap at Grayson’s hands while he drove. Grayson laughed and shoved Ryan’s hand away before grabbing Ryan’s iPod. “Don’t change it!”

“Ryan, you don’t need to listen to these anymore to learn them! You’ve probably known these lyrics all of your life!” Grayson laughed as he latched onto Ryan’s wrist to hold Ryan’s hand near the steering wheel while he scrolled through Ryan’s iPod with his other hand. Ryan made a stubborn noise as he tried to twist his wrist out of Grayson’s grip.

“I don’t care. I need the lyrics _fresh in my mind_ ,” Ryan hissed out. Grayson gave Ryan a deadpan look then before he changed the song.

“With the amount of times I have heard the AVPM soundtrack while in your presence in the last few weeks, I hope it is _fresh in your mind_ ,” Grayson deadpanned. Ryan stuck his tongue out at Grayson and flipped Grayson off as he turned his attention back to the road.

“You’re a terrible friend, Gray,” Ryan added.

“Ugh, I know. It keeps me awake at night,” Grayson sighed dramatically.

“Don’t lie to me. You sleep like a fucking rock,” Ryan snorted as he smirked over at Grayson.

“So do you, asshole,” Grayson retorted as he reached over to flick Ryan’s ear. Ryan squeaked and slapped Grayson’s hand.

“I’m driving! Don’t flick my ear! They’re sensitive!” Ryan yelped. Grayson snorted with laughter and flicked Ryan’s ear once more. “Stop it. Lydia’s gonna be pissed if you show up to the photo shoot with a bruise because I punched you in the face.”

“And somehow _I’m_ the asshole,” Grayson commented as he rolled the eyes.

“Yes,” Ryan replied easily as he turned off of the highway. “You will always be the asshole of the situation.”

“I don’t see how that’s fair,” Grayson said stubbornly. Ryan flashed Grayson a wide smile as he came to a stop at a red light.

“I never said it was fair,” Ryan added. Grayson rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, stop flexing your muscles. I know you have them.”

“That’s not what I was doing!” Grayson defended with wide eyes.

“Mhm, sure,” Ryan hummed with a small smirk as he hit the gas when the light turned green. Grayson grumbled and sunk down into his seat as Ryan’s phone started to blare out Nobody’s Perfect. Ryan sighed heavily and shook his head.

“Do you want me to put it on speaker?” Grayson asked as he went to reach for Ryan’s phone.

“No. She’ll leave a message and I will get back to her once we get to the studio,” Ryan replied.

“Mkay,” Grayson said as he settled back into his seat.

“So, you ready for your first _official_ shoot?” Ryan asked. Grayson shrugged and released a sigh.

“I mean, I guess. Is it really much different than the informal one we had on set?” Grayson asked. Ryan nodded once as he turned onto the street where the studio was.

“There are a lot more lights and different set ups. You will honestly feel like a doll by the time we’re through. I don’t think we’re doing hair and make-up today, which is nice. But you literally get manhandled into whatever positions they want you to be in,” Ryan told Grayson. “It’s like trying to take a family picture for a Christmas card multiplied by one-hundred.”

“Ugh,” Grayson groaned. Ryan hummed in agreement and then pulled into the parking lot.

“You gotta just grin and bear it, dude,” Ryan added as he pulled into a parking space and put his car in park.

“Obviously,” Grayson breathed as he rolled his eyes at Ryan and then climbed out of the car. Ryan rolled his eyes as well as he grabbed his phone and then climbed out of the car to lead Grayson into the building. They were immediately met with the sounds of people calling out to each other and bright lights surrounding them.

“Good timing, boys!” Lydia chirped as she bound up to them looking a bit frazzled. “Grayson, you’re up first!”

“Wait, what?” Grayson squeaked as he looked between Lydia and Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan just smiled and pat Grayson’s cheek quickly before Lydia dragged him off in a hurry. Ryan chuckled and shook his head as he watched Grayson look around with wide eyes while he was maneuvered around. Ryan’s phone started going off again then and he sighed before he answered it.

“What’s up, Lase?” Ryan asked.

“Where are you?” Lasey immediately asked in a rush. Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed together at her panicked tone and he walked over to a quieter area.

“A photo shoot. Why?” Ryan asked in response.

“ _Shit_ ,” Lasey hissed out.

“Lasey, _what happened_?” Ryan asked seriously. He heard Lasey take a deep breath and he bit at his bottom lip while he waited.

“I don’t know what set it off. Papa says he does but won’t say. I just know that we came home to find Daddy curled up in the bathtub and Papa said to call you and get you home,” Lasey answered. Ryan took a shaky breath then and closed his eyes. “How long is your shoot supposed to be?”

“Like, all day,” Ryan replied as he rubbed at his forehead. Lasey hissed out another swear. Ryan heard Avalon ask something quietly in the background and Lasey sighed.

“I don’t know yet, Avie. Ryan’s got some work stuff going on,” Lasey breathed out.

“Lasey. I promise I will try and get this cut short, okay?” Ryan asked shakily.

“Yeah. I’m sure Daddy would understand though, Ryan,” Lasey told him.

“I know he would, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be there. Family is more important than some photo shoot,” Ryan retorted.

“I know, Ry. Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? We don’t need you hurt, too,” Lasey sighed.

“I know. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way, okay?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah. Love you, baby brother. Don’t do anything drastic,” Lasey told him.

“Love you too,” Ryan replied before Lasey sighed up.

“Ryan! Over here!” Lydia squeaked out then. Ryan heaved out a sigh and closed his eyes briefly before he made his way towards Lydia. Once Ryan reached Lydia, she immediately latched onto his arm and led him to stand in front of a red, curtained backdrop. Ryan let her shift him around before she gave a small, satisfied nod before darting off.

The cameraman immediately began to snap pictures and Ryan attempted his best fake smile, but he could tell he wasn’t very successful. The man continued to take pictures, indicating with his hand every so often where he wanted Ryan to move. Ryan obeyed easily, used to this procedure by now.

“[Wait](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/108360002554), just stop. _Stop_!” Grayson suddenly barked out. Everyone startled into silence and turned to look at Grayson, but he ignored them in favor of walking over to Ryan and taking Ryan’s face into his hands. Grayson inspected Ryan’s face and Ryan heaved out a shaky sigh. “What’s wrong?”

Ryan just shook his head as he took a few panicked breaths and looked down at his feet. Grayson shifted his hands then to hook his thumbs beneath Ryan’s chin and lift his face gently.

“Ryan. Do you need to leave?” Grayson asked quietly. Ryan nodded gently then and Grayson nodded back before he pulled Ryan to his chest tightly.

“Hey, talk to me,” Lydia said gently as she walked up to them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“I think we need to reschedule,” Grayson told her. Ryan simply nodded into Grayson’s chest. Lydia heaved out a sigh.

“Is this another one of those family things you forgot about, Ryan?” Lydia asked. Ryan shook his head then and lifted his gaze to look at Lydia. Understanding spread across her face then and she gave Ryan a nod before she turned to Grayson. “You get him home safely. You are not to let him drive in this state. I’ll put the address into your phone GPS and then you drive straight there.”

“Wait, what?” Grayson asked even though he handed his phone to Lydia.

“You need to get him home. And not his apartment home,” Lydia said as she tapped on the screen of Grayson’s phone to pull up the GPS function. “Don’t worry. It’s a shorter drive there than it was from your campus to here.”

“And then what?” Grayson asked as Lydia handed back his phone. Lydia shrugged then before she walked off briskly to talk to the photographers.

“C’mon. I’ll work things out,” Ryan whispered as he grabbed onto Grayson’s wrist and pulled him towards the car. Grayson matched Ryan’s pace easily and pulled Ryan back to his side.

“Keys,” Grayson said when they reached Ryan’s car. “Even if Lydia hadn’t ordered me to drive, I would have anyway.”

Ryan just nodded and handed Grayson the keys before he dropped into the passenger seat. Grayson climbed into the driver’s side and set up his phone on the dashboard so he could see where he was going. Ryan curled up in his seat and pulled his phone out to text Lasey that he was on his way. Lasey immediately responded with _What? How? Who is driving_? _You better not be driving._

Ryan snuck a picture of Grayson then and sent it to Lasey as an answer. Grayson glanced over at Ryan then before he held out a hand and wiggled his fingers. Ryan gave Grayson a small smile before sliding his hand into Grayson’s. Grayson simply squeezed Ryan’s hand briefly as he turned his attention back to the road. Ryan took a deep breath then before unlocking his phone in order to call Jude.

“Ry, are you on your way? Lasey said she called you,” Jude immediately said once she answered.

“Yeah, I’m on my way,” Ryan told her. “I have a favor to ask, though.”

“What’s up?” Jude asked, worry leaking into her voice.

“Nothing bad, I swear,” Ryan said. “I was wondering if you’d be able to have Grayson at your house for tonight. I would let him stay at our house, but we both know it’s not the best situation.”

“Oh. Oh, yeah,” Jude breathed out. “I’m headed over to your house now so I can lead him back to my house once you guys are here.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said.

“No problem, Ry. You guys drive safe, okay?” Jude hummed.

“Mhm. See you soon,” Ryan told her.

“Love you,” Jude chirped.

“Love you too,” Ryan replied before they hung up. He squeezed Grayson’s hand then and Grayson looked over briefly. “Jude said you can stay at her place tonight.”

“Mkay,” Grayson said as he squeezed Ryan’s hand back.

“I’m sorry you have to do this,” Ryan whispered. Grayson’s grip on Ryan’s hand tightened then.

“Don’t ever apologize for something like this. Something big is obviously happening with your family. I have zero reservations about dropping everything to get you safely where you need to be,” Grayson said forcefully as he looked over at Ryan. Ryan nodded once and took a deep, steadying breath before he leaned over to nudge his forehead into Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson released a small hum and leaned his head against Ryan’s briefly. “I just want you safe, okay? I care about you.”

“I know. Thank you,” Ryan whispered.

“No need to thank me,” Grayson replied as he came to a stop at a red light and turned to kiss Ryan’s forehead quickly. Ryan released a breath then and closed his eyes.

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you,” Ryan said. Grayson huffed out a small laugh then as he began to drive again as the light turned green.

“You’re a good person, Ry. You’re such a good person and you’ve been dumped all over in the past. You’ve gotten through all that and are still such a wonderful, upbeat person who cares about your friends with your entire being. I think I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you,” Grayson told Ryan. Ryan simply released a small hum before he pushed off of Grayson’s shoulder as Grayson turned onto his street.

“It’s the one with the blue car at the foot of the driveway,” Ryan said as he pointed towards Jude’s car. Grayson simply nodded once and released Ryan’s hand as he parked. Ryan quickly got out of the car and was immediately met by Avalon running down the driveway. Ryan scooped her up easily and pressed kisses to her cheeks. Avalon heaved out a sigh as she nuzzled into his neck.

“Hey, Ry,” Jude said as she walked out to meet them and came over to kiss Ryan’s cheek. Ryan did the same in response. “They’re all up in Daddy’s room. Avie wanted to wait for you, though.”

“Mkay, thanks,” Ryan breathed out. “And thank you again for letting Grayson stay.”       

“It’s no problem,” Jude replied as she rubbed Ryan’s cheek with a thumb. Then she turned to smile at Grayson. “Thank you so much for getting Ryan here safely.”

“It’s no problem,” Grayson told her with a small smile.

“Do you want to borrow some clothes for tonight?” Ryan asked Grayson. “You would never fit into anything of Leon’s.”

“Sure,” Grayson said with a shrug. Ryan nodded and then gestured for Grayson to follow him up to the house. Jude followed as well, easily scooping up Samoa as they walked into the house

“Alright. Wait here and I’ll be right back down,” Ryan said to Grayson before he started up the stairs, leaving Grayson and Jude to talk to each other quietly. When Ryan reached the top of the stairs, he was met with the sight of Kyler poking his head out of Riker and Jeff’s room. Ryan gave Kyler a small smile as he walked over to ruffle Kyler’s hair before walking into the room.

“Hey,” Ryan said quietly as he carefully placed Avalon on the bed since Riker was asleep curled between Jeff and Lasey.

“Hey, you made it,” Lasey whispered as she turned to kiss Ryan’s forehead. Ryan simply hummed in agreement and lifted Kyler onto the bed.

“How did you get here so fast?” Jeff asked in confusion, hand never ceasing movement through Riker’s hair.

“I was at a shoot at the warehouse that’s only about twenty minutes away,” Ryan replied. Jeff nodded once, but then narrowed his eyes at Ryan.

“You drove here by yourself?” Jeff asked in an angry hiss. Ryan shook his head and kissed Jeff’s cheek.

“No. Grayson drove,” Ryan answered. “He’s going to be staying at Jude’s tonight, so I need to go get him some clothes, but I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Mkay,” Jeff answered. Then, his eyes widened and he perked up slightly. “Wait, _Grayson_?”

“This is _not_ the time, Papa,” Lasey hissed at him. Jeff sunk back into the bed then and nodded once. Ryan smiled slightly and kissed Jeff’s cheek once more before he left the room to go to his and get clothes for Grayson. He quickly went back downstairs then and kicked his shoes off next to the door.

“Sorry if they’re a bit small. You’re more muscular than I am,” Ryan said as he handed the clothes to Grayson.

“They’ll be fine. Thank you,” Grayson said as he accepted the clothes and then pulled Ryan into a hug. Ryan released a sigh then and sank into Grayson’s embrace.

“Thank you for driving. Have fun with the Chases tonight. Don’t let Spencer manipulate you with her adorable face,” Ryan told Grayson, who chuckled and squeezed Ryan’s shoulders.

“I’ll try my best. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Grayson replied as he kissed Ryan’s temple and then let him go. Ryan smiled at Grayson and reached out to squeeze Grayson’s hand before Grayson walked out of the door. Jude smirked and raised one eyebrow at Ryan before she followed behind Grayson, closing the door behind her. Ryan rolled his eyes and then heaved out a sigh before he climbed back up the stairs to join the cuddle pile on his dads’ bed.

000000

“God, I’m gonna _murder_ you,” Ryan hissed the next morning as he lunged at Lasey. She simply giggled and darted away from Ryan to run across the kitchen. Avalon and Kyler watched with interested expressions, both their feet kicking above the ground.

“No killing your sister,” Jeff deadpanned from where he was at the stove making French toast.

“She’s being obnoxious!” Ryan whined loudly. Lasey giggled even more as she darted over to kiss Ryan’s cheek.

“It’s because I love you,” she said. “But more importantly it’s because _Grayson loves you_.”

“God, _shut up_!” Ryan exclaimed as he shoved at Lasey.

“And you say you miss it when they both lived here,” Jeff hummed as he set down food in front of Riker and kissed Riker’s cheek. Riker smiled and leaned back into Jeff’s chest while he watched Ryan and Lasey poking at each other.

“Just because they’re obnoxious doesn’t mean I don’t like having them both here,” Riker countered.

“I could do without Lasey,” Ryan grumbled as he separated from Lasey and walked moodily back into the kitchen. Riker gave Ryan a small smile and pulled Ryan to his side.

“Be nice to your sister,” Riker added. Ryan made a stubborn noise even though he settled into Riker’s side.

“Tell her to stop being nosy, then,” Ryan replied.

“Never,” Lasey chirped as she sat down at the counter next to Kyler. “It’s my job to pester you until you make a move. I mean, _come on_ , Ry. He stopped a freaking photo shoot for you yesterday.”

Ryan simply rolled his eyes and then sat down next to Riker. Jeff chuckled and kissed Ryan’s cheek as he place a plate in front of Ryan. Ryan smiled and kissed Jeff’s cheek in thanks.

“I still want to meet this boy,” Jeff added as he pat Ryan’s cheek. “I’ve heard all these good things but have yet to meet him.”

“Why? So you can interrogate him?” Ryan asked as he quirked an eyebrow at Jeff.

“Yes,” Jeff replied easily as he sat down on Riker’s other side.

“You don’t have to worry, Papa. I’ve talked to Devin about it many times,” Lasey said as she helped the twins cut up their food.

“Just because you and Devin have met him and spent time with him doesn’t mean he automatically passes into good guy territory,” Jeff huffed out. Riker hummed in agreement as he nudged Jeff’s shoulder with his own. Ryan sighed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re not allowed to be ridiculous when he comes back here with Jude to pick me up,” Ryan told them sternly. Riker and Jeff both looked over at Ryan then with wide, innocent eyes. Ryan simply stared back at them seriously. “I mean it. You’re not to interrogate him or ask him anything about his intentions. Yes, he knows about part of what happened, but not all of it. The only reason he knows the one thing is because he noticed that I flinched. So, again, _you are not to interrogate him_.”

“What a spoil sport,” Lasey sighed heavily.

“Oh, shut up. You don’t even know. You’re with Devin,” Ryan told her.

“Hey, the two of you, stand down,” Jeff said as he waved an arm between Ryan and Lasey. “And Ryan, we promise not to interrogate Grayson.”

“Yeah. We’re saving that for when you bring him home as your boyfriend,” Riker said quietly. Ryan spluttered then while Lasey laughed loudly.

“Who says we’re going to date?” Ryan finally asked. Riker, Jeff, and Lasey all stared at Ryan sarcastically then.

“I’m going to circle back to the fact that he _stopped a photo shoot for you_ ,” Jeff commented. Ryan rolled his eyes and made a face at Jeff before he turned back to his food.              

“Grayson nice,” Kyler suddenly commented.

“Yah. I think he want date you, Ry,” Avalon chirped with a smile. “Very cute togedder.”

“Oh, you know it’s _bad_ when a three year old says you’d be cute together,” Lasey giggled manically while Riker and Jeff both snorted.

“I hate this entire family,” Ryan grumbled.

“Don’t lie, Ryan Arthur. It’s not flattering,” Jude said as she sauntered into the kitchen with Spencer on her hip and Grayson and Luca behind her. Ryan rolled his eyes at her before he looked over at Grayson, who was staring back at Ryan with an amused expression.

“What?” Ryan asked.

“Your middle name is Arthur?” Grayson snorted out. Ryan groaned and threw his head back dramatically.

“God! Shut up! I know it’s a dorky name! Blame Daddy and Papa!” Ryan exclaimed defensively.

“Hey! It’s a wonderful name!” Jeff screeched indignantly.

“Yeah, because you both have some weird thing with Arthurian legend! Just look at Avalon and Kyler’s names18!” Ryan squawked.

“He’s got a point there,” Jude hummed while Lasey and Luca snorted with laughter and the twins stared in confusion.

“You all have wonderful names,” Jeff huffed out defensively. Jude smiled and walked over to kiss Jeff and Riker’s cheeks.

“Don’t listen to your ungrateful children,” Jude added. “And good morning. Things better today?”

“Yeah. Much better,” Riker breathed in response as he kissed Jude’s cheek and then pulled Spencer into his lap. Spencer hummed happily and curled into Riker’s chest.

“Good,” Jude chirped as she walked over to get a cup of coffee.

“Ryan, can we trade you for Grayson? He’s better at videogames then you,” Luca said as he walked up to Ryan’s side. Ryan growled and pulled Luca to his side roughly.

“That’s rude, Luca. I have been in your life _forever_. I changed your diapers and fed you and helped you learn how to walk and talk. I even know what girl you like,” Ryan said.

“Hey! I know what guy you like!” Luca exclaimed defensively.

“Oh, that’s how you’re gonna play it?” Ryan asked calmly even though his heart was pounding as he refused to glance in Grayson’s direction.

“I gotta play dirty back, jerk,” Luca retorted.

“Oh yeah?” Ryan asked before he got up and easily swung Luca over his shoulder. Luca screeched loudly and immediately latched onto the back of Ryan’s shirt.

“Ryan!” Luca exclaimed.

“Nope! No mercy for the nephew!” Ryan replied as he carried Luca off towards the couch. Luca giggled and tried to worm his way out of Ryan’s grip. Ryan snorted and then dropped Luca onto the couch before draping himself across Luca. “You’re trapped now, you little shit.”

“Rude,” Luca giggled as he pushed at Ryan’s chest.

“You’re the rude one,” Ryan retorted before he blew a loud kiss against Luca’s cheek. Luca giggled again and swat at Ryan as Ryan got up. Ryan looked over to see Grayson smiling and shaking his head. Ryan smiled widely and skipped over to pinch Grayson’s side. “Don’t judge me.”

“I’m not judging,” Grayson replied simply with a small shake of his head. “Merely wondering about your family dynamic once again.”

“Mmh. That will only lead to confusion for you,” Lasey commented as she walked by and pat Grayson’s arm. “The Castellan family is a strange one. The Aaronson blood doesn’t help either.”

“The Aaronsons are a wonderful bunch,” Jeff defended.

“Says the one who hates his elf ears,” Ryan snorted. Jeff turned with narrowed eyes then to look at Ryan.

“You’re a terrible child,” Jeff told him before he turned to Grayson. “I expect you to whip some manners into him before he comes home for winter break.”

“ _Papa, oh my god_ ,” Ryan hissed out while Riker snorted into his coffee. Grayson chuckled and shrugged.

“I can try my best, sir,” Grayson replied with a small smile. Jeff perked up then and winked at Ryan.

“I like this one. You can keep him,” Jeff chirped.

“People are not to _keep_ , Papa,” Ryan sighed. “ _Anyway_ , Papa, this is Grayson. Gray, that’s my other dad, Jeffry.”

“Sass tone check,” Riker tossed out as he reached across the counter to catch Kyler’s cup. Ryan rolled his eyes, which earned him a stern expression and raised eyebrow from Riker.

“Yes, Dad,” Ryan added dramatically. Grayson chuckled and bumped his shoulder into Ryan’s. Ryan’s phone started to go off then and he sighed before pulling it out to answer. “Yes, Hayds?”

“I don’t want to impede on your needed family time, but are you going to be headed back this way soon?” Hayden asked. “I need to look over the pictures of you with you for class. That way I don’t use any you really hate.”

“Yeah, Gray and I are probably gonna leave soon. I’ll let you know when we do,” Ryan told her.

“Okay. Don’t rush, though,” Hayden assured.

“Shut up. We’ll see you in a few hours,” Ryan told her.

“Mkay. Also, you realize you’re like the only one who calls him _Gray_ , right?” Hayden asked through a giggle.

“Oh my god, _bye_ ,” Ryan hissed out before he hung up, cutting off Hayden’s giggles.

“You gon’ leave?” Avalon asked as she stared back at Ryan with wide, sad eyes.

“Yeah. I have classes again tomorrow, Jelly Bean,” Ryan told her as he walked over to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll see you for Thanksgiving, though.”

“Mkay,” Avalon replied as she turned in her chair to kiss Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled and returned the favor before he kissed Kyler’s cheek as well.

“You guys drive back safe, okay?” Riker asked as Ryan walked over to kiss his cheek as well.

“Yes, Daddy. We will drive safe and I’ll let you know when we get back,” Ryan replied as he turned to kiss Jeff’s cheek. Jeff smiled and did the same to Ryan.

“Say hi to Hestia fo’ me,” Spencer squeaked with a smile.

“Oh, I see how important I am to you,” Ryan snorted as he scooped Spencer out of Riker’s lap and blew against her neck. Spencer giggled and pushed at Ryan’s cheeks.

“I love you!” Spencer finally exclaimed. Ryan smiled and lowered her slightly to hug her to his chest.

“Love you too, Kit,” Ryan replied as he kissed her cheek and then handed her back to Riker.

“I’ll see you guys for Halloween,” Lasey hummed as she walked over to kissed Ryan’s cheek. “I expect progress by then.”

“You expect too much,” Ryan told her as he kissed her cheek as well. “That’s only two weeks away.”

“Make progress!” Lasey bugled as she smiled and pat Ryan’s cheek. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved her hand off of his face before he walked over to Grayson.

“Ready to go?” Ryan asked. Grayson simply nodded and placed a hand on the small of Ryan’s back.

“See you at Thanksgiving!” Jude chirped as she waved.

“Yep. Love you,” Ryan replied.

“Love you too,” everyone called out as Ryan and Grayson walked out the door.

“Once again, I am astounded with how interesting your family is,” Grayson breathed as they climbed into Ryan’s car. Ryan snorted as he started the car and rolled his eyes at Grayson.

“Don’t judge,” Ryan added as he pulled away from the curb.

“I’m not, just making a comment,” Grayson replied as he held up his hands.

“Yeah, whatever. Choose the music, dick,” Ryan said as he tossed his iPod at Grayson. Grayson just smiled and reached over to pinch Ryan’s cheek quickly before choosing what music to put on for the rest of the ride.

000000

“Okey dokey. I’m showered and my clothes are in the wash. Let’s look at some pictures of my hideous face,” Ryan huffed out as he walked into the living room wearing only a pair of boxer briefs and drying his hair with his towel.

“God, put on some fucking clothes,” Devin sighed without even looking up from his textbook. Ryan rolled his eyes as he flopped down onto the couch next to Hayden.

“Why did you even need to shower and put in an emergency load?” Hayden asked as she pulled her laptop out of Lowell’s lap.

“I smelled like vomit,” Ryan replied with a shrug.

“What the hell?” Lowell yelped out.

“It wasn’t that bad, Ry,” Grayson commented airily as he texted someone.

“It was bad to me,” Ryan countered as he leaned into Hayden’s side.

“Pardon, but _why_ did you smell like vomit?” Lowell asked in concern.

“I was in the bathroom with Daddy when he was emptying his stomach,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Devin made a small noise then and looked over.

“It got to that level?” Devin asked. Ryan simply nodded and Devin heaved out a sigh. “And Jeff didn’t tell you guys what triggered it?”

“Nope,” Ryan heaved out as he slouched down the couch. Devin shook his head as he turned back to his textbook.

“Your dad has the tendency to vomit...?” Lowell asked.

“Under the right conditions, yes,” Ryan replied. “Now, moving on. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Agreed,” Devin hummed.

“And on that note, pictures!” Hayden squeaked. “I really need these for my project and I know you’ll kill me if I use a bad one.”

“I don’t care _that_ much,” Ryan told her even as he turned his attention to her laptop.

“Well, just because you don’t doesn’t mean I don’t. I want to use the best ones,” Hayden huffed.

“Then I feel like you should ask someone else,” Ryan sighed.

“Oh, I will,” Hayden replied with a small smirk as she glanced over at Grayson quickly. He caught her gaze and his eyes widened while she smiled.

“That’s quite a flattering one,” Lowell commented as he pointed at Hayden’s screen. Ryan looked at the screen then as well and made a small noise.

“It’s a good one,” Ryan agreed. Hayden made a small noise and then marked the image in the folder. Devin skipped over then to peek over Hayden’s shoulder.

“That’s not just good, that’s _amazing_. That picture is the epitome of why Ryan makes all the guys swoon,” Devin chuckled as he clapped Hayden’s shoulder. “Ya did good, Hayds.”

“Thanks, Dev,” Hayden said with a smile. Devin hummed and smacked a kiss to the top of Hayden’s head before he went back over to the sit at the table and continue with his homework.

“You continue on. I need to get something to eat. I’ve literally only eaten a slice of French toast today,” Ryan sighed as he clapped a hand onto Hayden’s thigh before he got up.

“Are you telling me that Jeffry made French toast and you only ate one slice?” Devin barked out.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied with a sigh. “Lasey was being obnoxious and then Jude got there with Grayson.”

“Ugh, damn your sister and keeping you from your father’s heavenly French toast,” Devin grumbled. Ryan hummed in agreement as he grabbed a yogurt out of the refrigerator and then grabbed a spoon.

[Grayson](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/130443389204/halepackpups-dylan-obrien-2014-2015) made a choking noise then and practically fell out of the chair he was sitting in. Ryan paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth to stare skeptically at Grayson. Devin and Lowell stared in confusion as well while Hayden smiled to herself as she continued to click through her computer. Grayson looked up from his phone then and looked around as a blush spread across his cheeks.

“Gonna be all right there, Gray?” Ryan asked before putting a spoonful of yogurt in his mouth.

“Uh, yeah,” Grayson coughed as he settled back into his chair and pulled his knees up to his chest before he glared over at Hayden.

“What?” Hayden asked innocently.

“I was right freshman year. You’re a terrible human being,” Grayson told her Hayden smiled widely then and blew a kiss in Grayson’s direction.

“Love you too, baby boo,” Hayden crooned.

“I’m not your baby boo, you heathen,” Grayson grumbled.

“Stop your whining,” Ryan said as he walked over to drop onto the arm of the chair Grayson was sitting on. Grayson stuck his tongue out at Ryan. Ryan just smiled and dipped his finger in his yogurt before dabbing it onto Grayson’s nose. Grayson crossed his eyes for a second before he made a stubborn noise and then grabbed the yogurt out of Ryan’s hands. Ryan squawked indignantly and dropped himself into Grayson’s lap to try and grab his yogurt back.

“Nope!” Grayson squeaked as he held the yogurt out of Ryan’s reach.

“I’m hungry, though!” Ryan complained with a pout as he sat back in Grayson’s lap and jut out his bottom lip. Grayson quirked one eyebrow at Ryan, the effect of his seriousness depleted due to the yogurt smeared on the tip of his nose.

“You shouldn’t have put yogurt on my nose, then,” Grayson replied. Ryan huffed out a breath then before he darted forward quickly to lick the yogurt off of Grayson’s nose and then quickly grabbing his yogurt when Grayson froze with shock.

“Ryan Arthur Castellan everyone,” Devin snorted. Ryan smiled smugly as he settled back onto Grayson’s lap and took a spoonful of yogurt.

“You’re a strange lad,” Lowell commented as he draped an arm across Hayden’s shoulders. Hayden hummed her agreement, most of her attention still on her laptop.

“I know,” Ryan added as he shifted slightly. Grayson released a tiny squeak then and reached out quickly to place steadying hands on Ryan’s hips. The sound caught Hayden’s attention and she looked up to smirk at Grayson.

“You all right there, Grayson?” Hayden asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I’m fine,” Grayson huffed out. Ryan giggled then and looked down at Grayson with one eyebrow raised Grayson blushed furiously under Ryan’s gaze and shifted slightly, hands still on Ryan’s hips. Ryan smirked and licked his spoon clean before placing a hand on Grayson’s cheek.

“Something to file away for later,” Ryan whispered with a wink before he slid out of Grayson’s lap and sauntered into the kitchen. Grayson simply stared after Ryan in wonder, blush still staining his cheeks.

000000

“So, do I get to meet Grayson’s other roommates tonight?” Lasey asked as she and Ryan sat on his sink counter while they put make-up on. Ryan made a small noise as he applied sparkly, blue eyeliner.

“No. I still haven’t even met his last roommate. I’ve only met two of them,” Ryan replied after a second. Lasey made a stubborn noise and then picked up the red eye shadow.

“That’s disappointing,” Lasey added as she dabbed the eye shadow on. “I was hoping to meet them and that they’d be like Shannon.”

“Kaleb is more reserved,” Ryan told her as he finished lining his eyes and picked up the blue eye shadow. “He was still low-key teasing Grayson, though.”

“Oh good,” Lasey hummed happily as she looked at Ryan through the mirror. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, though. You two have gotten _uber ridiculous_ from what I saw when I got here. You were draped over his lap for fucks sake, Ry.”

“Whatever, Lasey,” Ryan breathed as he nudged her knee with his own. Lasey just smiled and rolled her eyes as she moved onto her other eye.

“I’m just saying. You should just kiss him already,” Lasey told him. “He looks at you like he wants to all the time.”

“He does not,” Ryan scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

“He totally does,” Lasey chirped. “And I can guarantee his eyes are going to fall out of his head when he sees you tonight. Half naked in metallic booty shorts and covered in blue body glitter.”

“Like I’m probably going to fare much better,” Ryan snorted. “He’s got the same costume, just gold instead of blue.”

“True. And he’s more obviously ripped than you,” Lasey hummed as she went back to applying her eye shadow. “You’re more of the lean type. But I’m sure you hold your own against him.”

“Oh, I do,” Ryan laughed. “I’ve won a fair share of our impromptu wrestling matches.”

“Without cheating?” Lasey asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course. I ain’t gonna play dirty with him like that,” Ryan scoffed.

“Yet,” Lasey hummed. Ryan rolled his eyes at her through the mirror and went back to applying his own eye shadow. “It’s going to suck getting from buildings to cars tonight.”

“That’s why we have coats, Lasey,” Ryan laughed. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

“Cut back on the sass, bro,” Lasey told him.

“Nope,” Ryan chirped in response.

“Who’s ready to get drunk?” Devin exclaimed as he jumped into Ryan’s bathroom clad in only his green shorts with green body glitter scattered across his body.

“Oh, honey. The make-up on your face is _terrible_ ,” Lasey cooed.

“I know. That’s why I brought it with me so you could fix it,” Devin chuckled as he walked over and kissed Lasey’s cheek.

“Mmh,” she hummed. “Let me finish mine first.”

“Of course, my fair dragon maiden,” Devin replied as he bowed in Lasey’s direction. Lasey and Ryan exchanged a glance in the mirror before shaking their heads.

“You’re a loser,” Ryan informed Devin.

“Like you’re one to talk,” Devin snorted. “Just you _wait_ until you see Grayson.”

“Oh god,” Ryan grumbled while Lasey giggled.

“You have a bit more time before you have to hide any awkward boners. He’s helping Hayden and Lowell right now,” Devin replied.

“God, you’re an ass,” Ryan hissed as he reached over to punch Devin’s shoulder. Devin grunted in pain and glared at Ryan while he rubbed his shoulder. “You get what you deserve.”

“Questionable,” Devin grumbled. Lasey hummed and gave Devin a sarcastic expression.

“You know you’re being a dick, at least own up to it,” Lasey told him. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes then before he rested his chin on Lasey’s shoulder.

“You’re so gorgeous, you know that?” Devin asked. Lasey preened smugly and nodded once as she glanced back at Devin.

“I do. Thank you,” she added in a coo before she kissed Devin lightly. “Now, let me fix your face.”

“Please and thank you, my love,” Devin hummed as he wiggled happily in front of Lasey. Lasey smiled fondly as she turned around and then pulled Devin to stand between her legs before she started to wipe make-up off of his face.

“You’re so hopeless,” Ryan chuckled as he finished with his eye shadow and turned on the counter to cross his legs and grab the body glitter.

“Y’know. I’m still not sure how you talked us all into being dragons19 and using body glitter,” Devin sighed. Ryan smiled widely and winked at Devin.

“Because you love me,” Ryan crooned.

“Sometimes,” Devin and Lasey replied in unison. Ryan snorted with laughter and then slid off of the counter to change into his metallic blue shorts.

“God, you’re going commando? It’s _cold_ outside,” Lasey complained.

“Well, I don’t own a g-string,” Ryan said with a shrug as he snapped the waistband against his hip.

“So at least go borrow a pair of my panties or something that won’t give lines! That’s what Dev’s doing!” Lasey exclaimed. Ryan rolled his eyes at her and waved a hand in her direction.

“Do I even want to know?” Grayson asked as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Ryan froze and looked over at Grayson with wide eyes while Devin and Lasey snorted with laughter.

“I was giving Ryan alternatives to going commando since he doesn’t own a g-string,” Lasey stated simply as she carefully applied eyeliner around Devin’s eyes.

“Which is surprising, to be honest,” Devin added.

“What? That I don’t own a g-string?” Ryan asked as he skirted around Grayson to toss his underwear into his laundry basket. Hestia looked up from her spot on the bed, made a small noise, and then sprawled out even more. “Oh, whatever, Hesty. I ain’t getting into bed for hours. Take up all the space you want.”

“And you wonder why she’s a spoiled brat,” Lasey cackled from in the bathroom.

“She deserves to be spoiled. However, she doesn’t have to be a brat about it,” Ryan countered as he walked back into the bathroom to put more body glitter on himself.

“You expect too much from a dog,” Grayson chuckled as he walked over and sat down on the closed toilet.

“Oh, shut up and put on some body glitter, asshole,” Ryan grumbled as he tossed the bottle of gold body glitter at Grayson. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he easily caught the bottle. “Ugh, you and your reflexes.”

“More like you have _none_ because you’re a giant clod,” Devin laughed. Lasey made an annoyed noise as Devin moved and grabbed onto his chin to steady him.

“While you have a valid point, baby, please refrain from moving,” she added.

“Sorry,” Devin mumbled. Grayson watched the interaction with a smirk and a raised eyebrow before he looked over at Ryan. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he hopped back up onto the counter of the sink.

“They’ve been like this since before they were dating,” Ryan informed Grayson. “Our entire family had bets on when they would start dating.”

“And everyone is still bitter that they lost to you,” Devin said. “And everyone’s gonna be mad when _I_ win.”

“Wait, _what_?” Ryan squeaked then as he looked over at Devin with wide eyes. A mischievous smirk overtook Devin’s face then as he looked back at Ryan.

“You think that people didn’t start a betting pool? C’mon. Lydia and Josh were present,” Devin laughed. Ryan heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes before he turned his attention back to applying body glitter.

“I hate you all,” Ryan added.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Grayson asked as he looked up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lasey hummed as she dabbed green eye shadow onto Devin’s eyelids.

“It’s easier not to,” Devin added as he shifted away from Lasey when she pat his cheek to let him know she was done.

“Pretty much,” Ryan sighed as he slid off the counter again to grab his wings to pull on over his shoulders. He hummed and admired himself in the mirror, trying to decide whether he wanted to add anything else other than the headband and [fangs](http://blog.bodycandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Vampire-Teeth.jpg) he would be putting on.

“Do he got the booty? _He dooo_ ,” Devin bugled through a laugh. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes at Devin through the mirror. Devin smiled widely in response and then skipped off to grab his own wings.

“Is my costume still in your closet?” Lasey asked as she hopped off of the bathroom counter.

“Yeah. All the way on the right,” Ryan told her as he grabbed the fangs to put them on. Lasey hummed in understanding and darted off into Ryan’s bedroom, squeaking out a greeting to Hestia.

“Are these kind of Halloween parties usually really crazy?” Grayson asked as he sidled up to Ryan’s side to apply his own fangs.

“Depends on how much you drink and how much the people around you drink,” Ryan replied. “Like, last year we went to a frat party and to this day I still have no clue what happened.”

“You got _that_ drunk?” Grayson asked with wide eyes. Ryan hummed in agreement as he held the two fangs for the right side to his teeth.

“Last Halloween was the first and last time I did that,” Ryan added as he pulled his hand away from his mouth. “I mean, you know that I get into that state where I don’t remember conversations, but it was different being blacked out. I had no idea what I’d done or what had been done to me. It’s unnerving.”

“Was Devin not watching you?” Grayson asked.

“He went home last year to take the twins trick-or-treating with Lasey. It was just me with Hayden and Lowell last Halloween,” Ryan answered as he grabbed the second set of fangs.

“Yeah. And we somehow lost him within the first hour of the party and didn’t find him again until two in the fucking morning,” Hayden said as she walked into Ryan’s bathroom. Ryan smiled innocently at her as best as he could with his hand pressing the fangs to his teeth. Hayden rolled her eyes and then placed her hands on her hips. “So, what’s the consensus on my costume?”

Ryan pulled his hand away from his mouth then and turned to look over Hayden. She stood there with a smile on her face and hands on her hips. She was wearing dark green clothing with brown leather straps surrounding her torso, chest, and thighs. Her short hair was ruffled and wild and her skin was streaked with brown make-up to look like dirt with a few streaks of black to look like singe marks.

“You truly look like someone who spends time with dragons,” Ryan told her with a wide smile. Hayden preened then and walked over to smack a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“And you look like a very sexual dragon,” she told him.

“Oh, good,” Ryan hummed.

“I mean, the sexual part always applies to Ryan,” Lasey giggled as she walked back into the bathroom while she pulled her red top on. Grayson made a small noise and clapped his hands over his eyes quickly. “Oh, shit. Sorry, Grayson. I forgot you’re not up to speed on the whole nudity of the Castellan apartment yet.”

“It’s fine,” Grayson squeaked.

“Not the first time he’s seen someone naked unexpectedly in this apartment,” Hayden said.

“Hey! That was your fault! You could have told me he was in the shower!” Grayson exclaimed defensively as he moved his hands away from his face to point at Hayden accusingly.

“Calm down, Gray. They didn’t think about it. We all walk into bathrooms while the others are showering all the time. There have been times where Hayden sits on the counter and flips through magazines while I shower,” Ryan said as he reached over to pat Grayson’s shoulder.

“True statement,” Devin chuckled as he and Lowell poked their heads into the bathroom. “Grayson, you need your wings.”

“You need _your_ wings,” Grayson grumbled as he walked out of the bathroom and made a face at Devin, who snorted and slapped Grayson on the back as he passed.

“And _that’s_ where you have laid your affections, Ry,” Lasey giggled as she grabbed her own wings to pull on.

“Yeah, like he’s any better,” Lowell commented.

“Point,” Ryan agreed with a small nod of his head before they all left the bathroom.

“We ready to go?” Grayson asked as he looked up from his phone.

“Yessir,” Devin chirped happily as he grabbed his and Lasey’s coats.

“Go, my dragons! Go!” Hayden bugled as she gestured widely towards the door. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he pulled on his coat.

“Just because you and Lowell are dressed as the trainers doesn’t mean you’re in charge,” Ryan told her even as he walked towards the door.

“God, shut up and just go, you twat,” Lowell breathed as he shoved Hayden towards the door before she could retort. She made a small, stubborn noise but obeyed, flicking her short hair as best as she could. Lowell chuckled and kissed her cheek as he closed the apartment door behind them.

“You’re the twat,” Hayden added in a petulant voice. The rest of them snorted and Lowell nudged Hayden forward with a hand on the small of her back. Ryan chuckled and jumped down the stairs, everyone else behind him.

“Okay,” Lasey started once they were all in the car, “I just want to say as the oldest one of the group…”

“Oi!” Lowell exclaimed stubbornly.

“Shut up, Lowell. I’m still older than you by a few months. _Anyway_ , as the oldest, I am not here to watch over you all like a mother hen. If you get drunk off your ass, that’s on you,” Lasey said as she looked around at all of them from the driver’s seat.

“Lase, if you weren’t designated driver you would be the one to drink the most,” Ryan told her as he settled into his seat and then leaned lightly against Grayson’s side.

“Shut up,” Lasey replied easily as she started the car and then pulled out of the parking space. “Plus, you specifically are not to drink that much.”

“Don’t intend to,” Ryan chirped as he leaned into Grayson’s touch when Grayson began to card his fingers through Ryan’s hair.

“Good. I’m not having a repeat of last year,” Hayden grumbled.

“We wouldn’t anyway. We all know I’m not in nearly as bad a place as I was last Halloween,” Ryan said.

“Valid,” Devin agreed. “Still, I did not appreciate the multitude of panicked texts.”

“Well I couldn’t find him anywhere!” Hayden exclaimed defensively.

“I always turn up fine,” Ryan huffed out stubbornly. Devin and Lasey both looked at Ryan in the rearview mirror then with quirked eyebrows. “You know what? That doesn’t fucking count. I hadn’t disappeared from anywhere. I was in my own damn dorm room.”

“You’re looking way to into the detail of that since you still didn’t show up somewhere,” Devin replied. Ryan made a small noise and then startled slightly when Grayson pulled Ryan to him tightly. Grayson buried his face in Ryan’s hair then and Ryan relaxed slightly, ignoring the look Devin was giving him through the rearview mirror.

“Shut up with your eyes, Devin,” Ryan grumbled.

“Nope,” Devin chirped happily as he smiled widely. Lasey giggled and reached out to pat Devin’s thigh before she turned into a parking lot.

“We all have each other’s numbers, right?” Lasey asked as she turned to look back at them.

“Yes,” they chanted.

“Good. Keep in touch once we separate and anyone let me know if you’re ready to leave and we’ll get our asses out of here,” Lasey said.

“Aye, aye, captain,” Lowell replied as he saluted Lasey before they all climbed out of the van.

“Oh, you guys are _adorable_!” Lydia cooed loudly as soon as she spotted them. “Pictures!”

“God, Lydia. Let us through the damn door,” Devin told her even as they all let Lydia shoo them towards the photo area.

“Nope! Pictures!” Lydia chirped happily as she poked Devin in the side. Devin swat at her hand and then jumped over to Lasey.

“Who let Lydia drink?” Devin asked.

“Me!” Josh bugled as he skipped up to them with a drink in hand. “You know Halloween is when I like to get Lydia all loose and fun.”

“That sounded very sexual,” Grayson snorted. Josh smiled and shook his head as he waved his hands at all of them.

“Gather together now since you’re here as a group. Pretend you like each other,” Josh told them as he got the attention of the photographer. All of them exchanged a look and smiled before they all gathered together for pictures.

“Ah! Lasey! C’mon! Drinking game!” Rhonda squeaked happily as she noticed Lasey.

“Yes, oh my god. Someone else be DD,” Lasey said as she tossed the keys in Grayson’s general direction before darting off with Rhonda. Grayson simply stared as he caught the keys and then looked at Ryan.

“She’s such a character,” Grayson commented.

“I know,” Ryan giggled in agreement.

“Like, where am I even supposed to put these keys?” Grayson asked. “I don’t have pockets.”

“I’ve got you,” Lowell chuckled as he plucked the keys from Grayson’s hand. “I wasn’t planning on drinking anyway. I can drive.”

“You’re the best, Lowell,” Ryan said as he smiled at Lowell before he turned to Grayson. “Now, come on, my fellow dragon! Off to hi-jack some drinks illegally!”

“God, don’t yell it,” Grayson hissed as Ryan dragged him off. Ryan rolled his eyes and squeezed Grayson’s wrist lightly.

“Don’t be so uptight about it. All of the adults who know me here have seen me drink before. Some even encouraged it before I started college so they knew I would be okay,” Ryan said as he led Grayson towards where the drinks were.

“I don’t think I will ever understand your family and relationship with your bosses,” Grayson breathed. Ryan smiled widely and scrunched up his nose before he handed Grayson a drink.

“I never asked you to,” Ryan added as he grabbed his own drink and took a sip. “Now, let’s go dance.”

“God, you’re gonna be the death of me,” Grayson breathed as he allowed Ryan to drag him out to the dance floor. Ryan looked back at Grayson and smirked.

“Maybe that’s just what I want to be,” Ryan crooned as he turned quickly and looped his arms around Grayson’s neck, careful not to spill either of their drinks. Grayson simply chuckled and tugged Ryan a bit closer for a few seconds before they began to actually dance.

000000

“You got Lasey?” Ryan asked Devin as they tried to make their way to the door a few hours later.

“Yeah, I’m good. She’s not at the stage where she completely can’t walk,” Devin replied as he kept his arm tightly wrapped around Lasey’s waist.

“I looooove you,” Lasey crooned then as she giggled and kissed Devin’s cheek sloppily.

“Yes, I love you too. But it would be helpful if you actually _walked_ ,” Devin told her. Lasey giggled again before straightening herself up to walk towards the doors.

“Your sister is a sloppy drunk,” Grayson commented.

“Pretty much,” Ryan agreed as he wormed his way between people. “This is not her worst, though. I’ve seen her have to _crawl_ across a floor because she legitimately could not stand.”

“That’s just pathetic,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan smiled and nodded in agreement before he yelped as he tripped and started to fall forward. Grayson noticed and turned quickly to try and catch Ryan, not quite compensating for the fact that Ryan had shot his hands out to try and break his fall.

They both stared at each other with wide eyes for a few seconds, neither of them moving. Then, Ryan seemed to realize that his hand was still on Grayson’s crotch and moved quickly, straightening up and wiping his hands on his thighs. Grayson just continued to stare, mouth dropped open slightly as if he was trying to come up with something to say.

“Guys! What the fuck? Come on!” Hayden called out as she waved a hand in the air. Ryan took the opportunity presented and quickly darted towards Hayden. He quickly grabbed his jacket from her and pulled it on before he practically ran to the car.

“You okay, mate?” Lowell asked as he looked back at Ryan when Ryan collapsed into his seat and curled up in his jacket.

“Yeah, fine,” Ryan replied quickly as Hayden and Grayson approached the car.

“Lasey isn’t gonna vomit in the back, is she?” Hayden asked as she turned to look back at where Devin and Lasey were in the back seat of the van.

“I’m good,” Lasey said as she gave Hayden a thumbs up. “I’m drunk enough to be ridiculous but not drunk enough to vomit or black out.”

“Good to know,” Hayden hummed as Lowell pulled out of the parking lot. Then, Hayden turned to look at Ryan. Ryan looked back, but didn’t uncurl himself from his position. “Are _you_ going to be okay, Ry?”

“Yep! Fine!” Ryan squeaked with a tight smile. Hayden raised a skeptical eyebrow and then glanced at Grayson who was sitting stiffly beside Ryan.

“Did something happen?” Hayden asked as she looked between them.

“Nope!” they both replied quickly with wide eyes. Devin and Lasey snorted then while Hayden gave them a sarcastic look.

“Y’all are straight up lying,” she deadpanned. “No one answers that fast if something didn’t happen.”

“Hayds, stop interrogating your buzzed friends,” Lowell scolded as he reached one hand out to push Hayden into her seat. Hayden made a stubborn noise but followed Lowell’s hand, slouching down into her seat once she was facing forward.

“I just wanna know,” Hayden added in a small voice.

“Don’t we all,” Devin breathed as he ran his fingers through Lasey’s hair.

“Maybe they’re finally going to fuck,” Lasey said in a bored voice. Grayson and Ryan both looked back at Lasey with shocked expressions. “God, don’t look at me like that. You’re both ridiculous. You should see the way you both watched each other’s asses tonight, god. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my baby brother’s ass ogled so much and I once literally witnessed him getting his ass eaten out.”

“ _Lasey Mariana_!” Ryan squawked while Lowell, Hayden, and Devin all snorted with laughter. Grayson just simply stared in shock as he slowly turned forward.

“What? Just food for thought,” Lasey hummed as she leaned into Devin’s touch while Devin chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“You’re a terrible person,” Ryan breathed out as he turned forward again and sank back down into his seat. Lasey just hummed in agreement before they all fell silent for the rest of the ride back to Ryan’s apartment.

Hestia greeted them at the door, tail wagging as she sat there and watched them all file into the apartment. They all pat her head in turn and Ryan smiled slightly as she licked at his hands.

“I’m gonna take her for a quick walk. She hasn’t been out much today,” Ryan said as he grabbed Hestia’s leash.

“Don’t be long,” Devin commented as he steered Lasey to the couch. Ryan saluted Devin and then darted out of the apartment, Hestia on his heels.

Hestia panted happily and darted around the sidewalk in front of Ryan once they were outside. Ryan watched her with a smile, calling her back to his side every once in a while with a simple slap of his hand to his thigh. Hestia darted back happily every time before she would dart off again to sniff at something. Though, soon enough, Ryan began to shiver and he called Hestia back once more.

“C’mon, Hesty. Back home,” Ryan told her as he turned around. Hestia simply nipped at Ryan’s ankles affectionately before she darted ahead of him, tail held in the air. Ryan chuckled and shook his head as he followed behind her.

“Good night?” Barney asked as Ryan walked through the front door. “I was going to ask when you all got back, but you snuck by when I was in the bathroom.”

“It was pretty good. Lasey’s a bit sloppy, though,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Barney chuckled and shook his head.

“I would expect nothing less,” Barney added. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he walked onto the elevator with Hestia.

“True. Have a good night, Barney,” Ryan said.

“You too, Ryan,” Barney replied with a wave right before the elevator doors closed.

“Welcome back, baby bro,” Lasey chirped from the couch when Ryan walked through the door.

“Oh, hush,” Ryan told her as he kicked off his shoes and then hung up his coat. Lasey flipped off Ryan in response and Ryan replied in kind as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass of water then before he jumped onto the counter. After he took a gulp of water, Ryan set his glass on the counter next to himself and then buried his face in his hands.

Ryan could hear Hayden, Lowell, Devin, and Lasey all talking quietly in the living room but he ignored them in favor of thinking to himself. He sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair briefly before he glanced up to see Grayson pad quietly into the kitchen. Grayson had already ditched the headband and wings, but was still only wearing the gold shorts. Ryan huffed out a small sigh and fiddled with his own fingers rather than looking at Grayson.

Grayson released his own small sigh and came to stand in front of Ryan, arms cross over his chest. Ryan stilled refused to meet Grayson’s gaze as he fidgeted on the counter. Grayson made another small noise then before he reached out to tap lightly beneath Ryan’s chin. Ryan looked up then to find Grayson inspecting his face carefully, head tilted just slightly. Ryan looked back at Grayson and then took a deep breath before he began to ramble.

“Look, I’m really sorry. [I’m so sorry](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/104546184794) I grabbed your dick. It was awkward and wrong. Like, obviously I didn’t do it on purpose, but still. It’s weird. I mean, granted, if I had been in your shoes I probably would have been a bit psyched, but we’re different people. I’m just really sor…” Ryan blurted out before Grayson clapped a hand over Ryan’s mouth.

“God, you’re actually an idiot, aren’t you?” Grayson asked with a small smile as he removed his hand from over Ryan’s mouth.

“Wait, wha-?” Ryan began to ask before he was cut off by Grayson’s mouth against his own. Ryan made a small noise of surprise before he relaxed into the kiss, easily pulling Grayson forward to stand between his knees.

Grayson smiled into the kiss and reached up with one hand to cup Ryan’s face while his other reached out to latch onto Ryan’s hip. Ryan arched into the touch, one hand pressed to the counter while the other found its way into Grayson’s hair. Grayson made a happy noise, using his hand on Ryan’s hip to drag Ryan forward across the counter a bit.

“God, _finally_!” Hayden suddenly exclaimed. Ryan and Grayson broke apart quickly and turned to stare at the four others gathered in the kitchen doorway with wide eyes.

“I told you guys they were gonna fuck,” Lasey giggled with a hiccup. Lowell rolled his eyes and cuffed the back of Lasey’s head.

“I don’t care about them having sex, I care about the fact that _I just won the betting pool_ ,” Devin cackled. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Devin off while Grayson stared in confusion.

“Betting pool?” Grayson asked. Devin snorted and then smiled widely.

“There was a huge betting pool on set this summer on when you two would finally get together. Lydia’s gonna be pissed you didn’t wait until New Year’s. I know Ryan better, though,” Devin commented. Grayson stared in shock then, mouth dropped open. Ryan snorted and pat Grayson’s cheek affectionately.

“You’re all terrible people,” Ryan said as he turned to stare at the others. They all exchanged looks and then shrugged.

“We’ve long ago accepted that,” Lowell replied easily. Grayson simply shook his head and then buried his face in Ryan’s chest. Ryan smiled widely and pressed his cheek to the top of Grayson’s head.

“Can we go to sleep now that those two have pulled their heads out of their asses?” Lasey asked as she looked up at Devin with pleading eyes. Devin chuckled and ruffled Lasey’s hair.

“Sure thing,” Devin added as he pulled Lasey to his side and started towards his bedroom with her.

“We’re going to sleep too,” Lowell said as he pulled Hayden up from where she was on the floor. She made a stubborn noise. “No, don’t protest. Leave them be.”

“Be safe!” Hayden called out as Lowell dragged her off.

“That applies more to you!” Ryan replied.

“I hate your friends,” Grayson grumbled once they heard Hayden’s door shut. Ryan snorted and lifted Grayson’s head from his chest.

“They’re your friends too, weirdo,” Ryan hummed.

“Questionable,” Grayson said before he slid Ryan off of the counter. Ryan yelped slightly but then giggled when Grayson buried his face in Ryan’s neck.

“C’mon. Bed time,” Ryan said as he pat at Grayson’s bare back.

“Mmh. Good idea,” Grayson sighed happily as he allowed Ryan to lead him back towards the bedroom. Ryan immediately peeled off his wings and threw them into the corner before he collapsed down onto the bed and pulled Grayson with him. Grayson released a surprised sound and Ryan chuckled as he grabbed onto Grayson’s face to kiss him lightly. Grayson smiled then as he leaned down to bury his nose into Ryan’s neck.

Ryan smiled happily and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s shoulders tightly. Grayson released a small hum and nuzzled against Ryan’s neck as he wormed his arms beneath Ryan’s back to hug Ryan back just as tightly.

“I think I might love you,” Grayson whispered out then. Ryan chuckled and held onto Grayson a bit tighter then.

“I think I might love you too20,” Ryan breathed simply into Grayson’s hair in response before they cuddled together even more and quickly fell asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Okay, you have NO IDEA how much effort was put into deciding on a college. I did research. LEGIT RESEARCH. I had to look at driving times between the school and Brandywine as Ryan went to the same college as his dads, who used to drive to and from Brandywine while in college for filming of their show in ~1hr  
> 2) So, the Addie/Riker/Jude sitch: Jude was the product of an abusive relationship Addie was in back in early college. Riker was constantly trying to help her his freshman year, and finally got through to her during his sophomore year. He took her into his life and family and never let go  
> 3) Duck penises. I just needed something that would be embarrassing to Grayson. And duck penises are weird. They're essentially corkscrewed. Google the subject if you don't believe me  
> 4) Ryan lives to annoy Lasey, so of course he made her ringtone Nobody's Perfect. He jokes that it is because she is studying to become a therapist and likes to spout things about how nobody is perfect. Lasey absolutely hates it and has tried to change the ringtone multiple times to no avail (Shout out to Jennie for giving me the song for Lasey's ringtone)  
> 5) The reasons Lasey presents to Ryan about watching him go through all that stuff is one of the major things that led her to go into psychology. Riker and his set of issues is the other major thing  
> 6) Okay, in this sentence I had originally typed "one" instead of "won", as I was in the middle of a 21 credit semester, which was also my last semester of college ever. When I read through the first time I stared for like five minutes trying to decipher what my point was before I realized I simply had the wrong version of the word. GO ME  
> 7) IF YOU WANT MORE INFO ON JUDE'S PREGNANCY WITH LUCA, CHECK OUT MY NANO 2014 STORY (selfless promo)  
> 8) In case you don't remember from an earlier note, Riker and Jeff also went to Swarthmore, and while there lived on campus for the first three years. Of course Ryan and Devin went to search out their old dorm because they heard a plethora of stories about things that happened there  
> 9) Not Alone. Donnven start w/me on this song. However, it is a comfort song for the Castellans bc after Ryan (Riker's dad) died, Riker practiced night and day for a long time to perfect the song on the piano. Darren Criss first debuted the song in A Very Potter Musical.The first link leads to the Human EP version of the song, and the second link leads to the version directly from AVPM. Give both a listen if you want  
> 10) LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS SPECTACULAR. I love this movie, even though it is trash, but it has bby Nolan Gerard Funk goin' for it. Just like the HSM franchise (which I also love). I decided a long time ago that Jeff adores the movie and he turns it into the comfort movie for their family  
> 11) Okay. Not a lightweight but effects him fast. Seems contradictory. It's not that Ryan can't handle his alcohol, because he can. He just gets weird fast. He is still totally lucid and understands exactly what he is doing, even if he doesn't remember fine details the next day. That's more because he legit shuts his brain down, not because of the alcohol itself  
> 12) LET'S TALK ABOUT AVPM. It is wonderful and everyone should watch it. Team Starkid is wonderful and Ryan's love for the troupe comes from Jeff's adoration of them. Riker and Jeff take part of AVPM the summer after their senior year, so Ryan knows a lot about everything AVPM and performing it  
> 13) The "you're a butthole/I'm not a butthole" song is inspired by real events from my childhood. My brother Marc always did the "you're a butthole" and I would sing back the "I'm not a butthole". We were cool. Also, humans do form butthole first. THE MORE YOU KNOW. DEUTEROSTOME POWER  
> 14) 18 is a song Ryan absolutely HATES despite his dads loving it. Ryan was in a really shitty relationship at 18, so whenever he hears it, he gets real pissed off. Don't worry, he learns to love it at some point as he decides to scream TWENTY over 18 in the song  
> 15) So, Grayson being commando is something he doesn't really think about. In my head, he wore a lot of skin tight jeans in high school and forewent underwear. He just never grew out of the habit, especially when lounging around  
> 16) A look into Grayson's future: He becomes a biology graduate student (Swat doesn't have a grad program, but this is 2042, I do what I want)  
> 17) Unicorn/zombie apocalypse mentioned bc I have written one  
> 18) The twins' full names are Avalon Lynette and Kyler Gwaine. Kyler is the only one not from Arthurian legend, so that's where the comment comes from  
> 19) It took a while to decide on Halloween costumes. I needed something ridiculous, which becomes apparent why later.  
> 20) Don't judge the love thing. They've both known individually they love the other for a while, they were just too chicken to say anything


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, links embedded lead to songs, reference images, and tumblr posts that inspired things that happen. Enjoy and send me any questions you may have!
> 
> Also, next section will be the last!

Ryan woke up the next morning squished between Grayson and Hestia. He smiled slightly and stretched as best as he could in his limited space. Grayson made a small noise and tightened his hold on Ryan’s waist without waking up. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he reached over to grab his phone. He heaved a sigh as he saw he had a multitude of messages and unlocked his phone to look through them.

The first text he opened was from Lydia which read _Dammit, Castellan! You couldn’t have waited another two months?! I owe Devin money now, god dammit. But other than that, FINALLY._

Ryan rolled his eyes and simply texted Lydia back with the middle finger emoji before he moved onto Josh’s text, which was much of the same with the addition of a multitude of random letters. Ryan smiled to himself again and tapped out a simple reply to Josh. Ryan opened Devin’s text then and was met with a picture of himself and Grayson kissing the night before.

_Y’all looked ridiculous, just sayin’. Wings and glitter everywhere_ 21 _._

_Fuck you_ Ryan replied quickly before he closed out his texts and then opened tumblr. He was immediately met with a picture of himself and Lasey sitting on his bathroom counter yesterday. Lasey was smiling widely with her nose scrunched up while Ryan was squishing his cheeks together while he squinted his eyes. Lasey had shared the picture from her Instagram with the caption _Halloween make-up prep with the baby bro_. Ryan reblogged the image and then continued to scroll through his dashboard.

He came across multiple pictures from the night before that a few of them had posted, as well as a picture Jude had posted of Luca and Spencer in costume. He smiled as he looked at the picture of Luca dressed as Harry Potter and Spencer dressed as Hedwig before he reblogged it. Ryan moved on then, scrolling down his phone. Then he came to a stop at a picture of himself and Grayson.

In the picture, Ryan was standing a bit in front of Grayson, crouched down slightly and smiling widely to expose the fangs attached to his teeth. The wings sparkled behind his back, the light catching on the sparkles on both of their skin. Grayson was simply standing behind Ryan with a private, fond smile on his face. Ryan stared at the picture for a few more seconds before he saved it to his phone.

Ryan’s phone buzzed with a text then from Lasey.

 _You awake yet? Pretty sure you are. BREAKFAST_.

Ryan chuckled and then turned his phone’s camera to front-face mode so he could take a picture that showed himself being sandwiched between Hestia and Grayson. He sent it off to Lasey then with _I would, but I’m part of quite the ideal sandwich right now_. Lasey simply responded with a thumbs up emoji before Ryan heard her moving around the kitchen. Ryan smiled and settled back against Grayson, earning himself a happy hum from Grayson. Hestia simply grumbled at the movement and glanced at Ryan briefly before jumping off the bed. Ryan chuckled and grabbed his phone again to tell Lasey to come get Hestia.

“Hey, Hesty. C’mon,” Devin whispered a minute later as he opened the door just wide enough for Hestia to dart through. Hestia huffed out a happy greeting as she left the room and Devin poked his head into the room to smile and wink at Ryan. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Devin off before Devin ducked away and shut the door again.

Grayson shifted slightly then, grip loosening on Ryan’s waist. Ryan smiled and rolled around to face Grayson and bury his face in Grayson’s neck. Grayson made a small noise and his grip tightened once again. Ryan chuckled into Grayson’s neck and squeezed Grayson’s waist in response. Grayson made another noise and then released a long breath before he froze completely, muscles locking. Ryan snorted and pat at Grayson’s back.

“Calm down, dude. You know how many mornings I have woken up to your dick poking me?” Ryan asked. “I usually just climbed out of bed before you woke up.”

“Shut up,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan chuckled and then quickly rolled them over so he was sitting on top of Grayson.

“Nope,” Ryan replied as he smirked down at Grayson. “Plus, morning wood is just something that happens because of sleep patterns. People with vaginas can experience something along the same lines.”

“Do me a favor and don’t talk about vaginas while you’re sitting on top of my dick,” Grayson breathed out as he closed his eyes. Ryan giggled and placed his hands on Grayson’s pecs.

“I would agree with you if I was sitting on your dick in a different way, but I am not,” Ryan chirped. Ryan felt Grayson twitch slightly and he smiled smugly before he pat Grayson’s chest. “While I am totally down for that, not yet.”

“You’re a menace,” Grayson grumbled as he finally opened his eyes to glare up at Ryan.

“I know,” Ryan replied simply before he leaned down to kiss Grayson. Grayson huffed out a deep breath through his nose then and brought his hands down to grip at Ryan’s waist. Ryan arched into the touch and Grayson caught his breath briefly. Ryan pulled away from Grayson’s mouth then to touch their noses together while he smirked. “This is up to you, Gray.”

“Thank _god_ ,” Grayson huffed out before he flipped them over once more and then pressed himself close to Ryan. Ryan whimpered and latched onto Grayson tightly with his arms and legs while Grayson buried his face in Ryan’s neck and then began to move their bodies together.

“ _Shit_ ,” Ryan gasped out as he scratched at Grayson’s back. “You’re fucking ridiculous, you know that? Like, god, all we’re doing is humping and I can’t even handle how you look right now.”

Grayson lifted his head to smirk and roll his eyes at Ryan before he leaned down to press a kiss to the tip of Ryan’s nose. Ryan huffed out a small laugh then and reached up to bury his fingers in Grayson’s hair. Grayson hummed happily as he leaned back down to bite at Ryan’s neck. Ryan whined and relaxed completely then, exposing his neck to Grayson. Grayson chuckled against Ryan’s skin before he nipped at it, causing Ryan to release a stuttered moan.           

“I wan-I can’t, _Grayson_ ,” Ryan gasped out as he tensed and then released, fingers digging into Grayson’s back. Grayson simply moaned against Ryan’s neck, his own hips stuttering. Grayson fell against Ryan then while they both heaved out breaths. Ryan huffed out another breath and then clapped Grayson on the shoulder. “We should really clean up. I ain’t walking around all day covered in glitter.”

“You’re going to need to wash your sheets as well, then,” Grayson commented.

“Mmh, I know,” Ryan hummed in response before he shoved lightly at Grayson’s shoulder. “C’mon, up. Shower time before breakfast.”

“So lazy,” Grayson complained as he rolled off of Ryan and then onto his stomach. Ryan snorted and slapped Grayson’s ass as he got up off the bed. Grayson made a stubborn noise and then peeked up to watch Ryan.

“Are you gonna be shy and shower separate or will you be okay with nudity now that we’ve had mutual orgasms?” Ryan asked as he glanced over his shoulder at Grayson even as he slid his metallic blue shorts off. Grayson simply watched intently, eyes going dark. Ryan smiled and shook his head as he walked over to the shower and turned it on. A few seconds later Ryan felt Grayson wrap arms around his waist tightly.

“You’re insane to think I would give up this opportunity,” Grayson mumbled.

“I know,” Ryan cooed as he stepped into the shower and then dragged Grayson in with him. Grayson chuckled and huddled beneath the warm spray of the shower with Ryan. “You could have earlier, to be honest. I mean, I made so many sexual comments at you in the past few months.”

“I know,” Grayson echoed. “I was just never sure if you were serious.”

“Well, that’s your fault. You could’ve asked,” Ryan snorted as he grabbed his shampoo to lather up his own hair before Grayson’s. Grayson sighed happily, shoulders going slack as Ryan washed his hair. Ryan smiled to himself and kissed Grayson’s jaw line. “We were both just being idiots, huh?”

“Probably,” Grayson breathed out. “And now everyone owes Devin money, which means he’s going to be smug.”

“He’ll only be smug towards everyone in the betting pool,” Ryan informed. “Which means Daddy will probably be bitter for a bit. I can almost guarantee he was in on it.”

“Once again, your family dynamic astounds me,” Grayson snorted as he opened one eye to look at Ryan with an amused expression. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes before he shoved Grayson beneath the water to wash his hair out.

“We’re just our own special breed of family,” Ryan answered as he nudged Grayson out of the way to wash the shampoo out of his own hair.

“Obviously,” Grayson laughed as he grabbed Ryan’s soap to wash the glitter off of himself.

“Ugh, I’m gonna have to throw away that bar of soap. It’s times like these when I regret my costume ideas,” Ryan sighed as he inspected the bar of soap before using it.

“Are you implying you’ve regretted costume choices before?” Grayson asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Oh, god yeah. There was the year I went as Eli from Brandywine High22 and I literally attracted every mother in my vicinity,” Ryan said.

“What? Eli?” Grayson asked with furrowed brows. Ryan gave Grayson a deadpan look then even as he washed soap and glitter off of his body.

“Dude, what the fuck? You don’t know [Brandywine High](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/108363940654/dylanobrien-when-both-of-your-friends-havent)?” Ryan asked. Grayson shook his head cautiously and pressed his lips together.

“Should I?” Grayson asked in response with raised eyebrows.

“I just can’t believe you don’t since you knew who I was when we met,” Ryan replied. Grayson immediately blushed and Ryan perked up instantly. “Oh my god! You were fangirling on the inside when we met, weren’t you?”

“Oh my god, _shut up_!” Grayson immediately squawked. Ryan cackled manically then and turned off the shower before he latched onto Grayson tightly. Grayson made a stubborn noise and tried to pry Ryan off of himself.

“You’re adorable!” Ryan giggled as he held onto Grayson even tighter despite their wet skin. “Did you _adoooore_ me? Was it your _dreaaaam_ to meet me? Was I everything you hoped for?”

Grayson stopped struggling against Ryan then to look down at him seriously. Ryan stopped as well and stared back up at Grayson, a small smile on his face.

“I’d say you are more than I hoped for,” Grayson finally whispered. Ryan huffed out a small laugh then and scrunched up his nose as he felt his cheeks heat up.

“Cute,” Ryan added before he released his hold on Grayson to grab a towel. Grayson chuckled and stole the towel from Ryan’s hand as he kissed Ryan’s cheek. Ryan made a stubborn noise and pinched Grayson’s side as he grabbed another towel. “Stealing my towel is _not_ cute, though.”

“Too bad,” Grayson replied as he walked back into the bedroom to grab a pair of boxers. Ryan just rolled his eyes and collected his sheets before he left the room.

“Guys! We’re having a Brandywine day!” Ryan called out as he walked through the apartment.

“Grayson, what the fuck?” Devin immediately exclaimed.

“What?” Grayson asked with wide eyes as he walked out of Ryan’s room.

“You don’t know Brandywine High?” Lasey immediately accused as she brandished a spatula in Grayson’s direction. Grayson’s eyes widened further and Ryan laughed as he dropped his sheets next to the washing machine since it was already running.

“You’re the only one here who doesn’t know. Even _Lowell_ knew when he met us,” Ryan said as he walked over and pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson pouted then and Ryan giggled as he kissed Grayson’s cheek.

“Ryan, go put pants on. I can’t deal with your dick being out this early in the morning when I’m hung over,” Hayden complained as she walked towards the kitchen.

“Spoil sport. Maybe I wanted to spend all day naked,” Ryan replied.

“Then you should have stayed in your room with Grayson,” Lowell chuckled as he clapped Ryan on the shoulder as he passed. Grayson froze then with wide eyes while the others snorted and Ryan smirked.

“Maybe one day,” Ryan said as he walked towards his room to pull on a pair of sweatpants.

“Damn. Better prepare yourself, Grayson. Ryan sucked his thumb for, like, twelve years,” Lasey giggled. Ryan heard Grayson make a choking noise then and he walked over to pat Grayson’s back when he re-entered the kitchen.

“Gonna be okay there, Gray?” Ryan asked. Grayson glared at Ryan then before he pulled Ryan to himself to bury his face in Ryan’s stomach. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he ran his fingers through Grayson’s damp hair.

“Seriously though, dude. From what I could tell of what I heard in high school, Ryan’s skills are phenomenal. And if you tend to be loud, give Hayds and I a courtesy heads up,” Devin said as he flipped the last pancake onto the plate with the rest of them while Lasey turned the stove off. Grayson grumbled nonsense into Ryan’s stomach then and Hayden snorted as she reached over to pat Grayson’s shoulder.

“I told you all those years ago that my roommates were ridiculous,” she cooed at him.

“And I believe you fully now,” Grayson mumbled.

“Oh, you love it,” Ryan giggled. “Now, c’mon. Pancakes and Brandywine.”

“Just like reunion weekends when we were kids,” Lasey hummed happily as she grabbed dishes and forks for everyone.

“Yep,” Ryan agreed happily as he skipped over to collapse onto the loveseat. Grayson sat down next to Ryan and then they both grunted when Hestia leapt up onto their laps.

“Are the DVDs in the regular spot?” Hayden asked as she walked over to the DVD shelf.

“Yeah. I haven’t taken any out in a while,” Ryan answered as he shifted Hestia’s elbows so they didn’t dig into his thigh.

“Got ‘em!” Hayden squeaked happily as she brandished four sets of DVDs.

“God, there are _four seasons_?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah. One for each year of high school,” Lasey said as she and Devin sat down on the floor to lean back against the couch. “They had a spin-off too that was filmed while everyone was in college.”

“Dear god,” Grayson breathed. Ryan giggled and nudged Grayson’s shoulder with his own.

“You’re in for it, Gray. This is basically what we grew up hearing about all of the time,” Ryan added. Grayson simply hummed and leaned into Ryan’s side slightly as Devin handed them both plates with pancakes on them.

“Believe me, it is interesting watching the show with Ryan and Lasey. They have a lot of insider stories from their family,” Lowell said as he and Hayden settled onto the couch behind Lasey and Devin. Lasey and Ryan both smiled widely and rolled their eyes.

“Well, on with the show then,” Grayson breathed with a flourish of his hand. Lasey giggled and started the first episode. Ryan, Lasey, and Devin all snorted during the opening sequence as they looked at the young faces of the adults they grew up with. Hayden and Lowell simply hummed along with the theme song while Grayson smiled slightly as he watched Ryan.

Ryan looked up then and smiled around his mouthful of pancake before he turned back to the TV. Grayson smiled as well and did the same as he and Ryan leaned together.

000000

“Guys, _ah_!” Ryan screeched later as he turned to Hayden, Devin, and Lasey after he closed the door behind Grayson. Lasey ignored Ryan’s outburst, attention still on her phone. Hayden and Devin looked up in unison to eye Ryan questioningly. “Are you not going to freak out with me?”

“No, because we’ve been telling you since summer that he wanted to bang you,” Hayden replied in a bored voice. Ryan stuck his tongue out at her even though he was still smiling. Devin chuckled and gave Ryan a thumbs-up.

“Y’all finally got your shit together. Congrats,” Devin added. Ryan giggled and [then ran around the apartment happily](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/97237581869/mazerunnermovie-dylan-obrien-shucking-excited), Hestia at his heels. Devin snorted as he watched Ryan and took his phone out to take a video. Lasey smiled as she looked up to watch Ryan briefly.

“You’d think you had sex,” Lasey chirped as she turned her attention back to her phone.

“You think they didn’t?” Hayden asked with raised eyebrows. Lasey looked over at Hayden sarcastically then.

“First off, Grayson has already said he hasn’t had penetrative sex yet. They’re not jumping into that. Second off, if they had I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have left Ryan’s room all day. I have a feeling that once Grayson gets to know what Ryan can do he ain’t gonna let it go easy,” Lasey scoffed.

“Wait, when did Grayson say he hasn’t had penetrative sex?” Hayden asked with wide eyes.

“That night we were drinking after they ran into Eric,” Devin answered.

“Don’t mention that name when I am riding this high!” Ryan exclaimed as he pointed at Devin. “But yeah, you must have been worse off than me that night because I remember him telling us that. That may have also been because I immediately thought _I could change that for you_. Luckily my filter was in place.”

“God, I wish it hadn’t been. Maybe you guys would have gotten to it sooner,” Lasey said.

“Nah. Grayson wouldn’t have no matter how much he wanted to. He’s too good of a guy and Ryan wasn’t in the best place that weekend,” Devin countered. Lasey hummed as she nodded once.

“ _Guys_ , I don’t want to talk about that! I want to talk about how I can now officially ride that face when we get to it!” Ryan exclaimed.

“Totally knew you wanted to ride his face so hard. That stubble is just too tempting for you, isn’t it?” Lasey asked as she glanced up at Ryan. Ryan beamed then and dropped onto the couch on his knees to bounce slightly.

“Doesn’t that, like, hurt though?” Hayden asked. “That’s such a sensitive area.”

“That’s kind of the point,” Ryan snorted.

“So what I’m taking from that is that Lowell’s never gone down on you while he has had stubble,” Lasey said as she looked over at Hayden, who shook her head. “Damn. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“You know, no matter what I say, having such sexual conversations with the three of you is always a bit weird. You all have known each other _forever_ and are basically siblings,” Hayden said.

“I mean, Lase and I are siblings. Devin pretty much is too since he will marry into the family at some point,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Lasey and Devin both nodded in agreement.

“If you heard some of the conversations we heard growing up, you honestly wouldn’t be surprised,” Lasey added as she looked over at Hayden. “We’ve heard more embarrassing stories about our dads’ sex lives than any child should ever hear.”

“Yeah. Aunt Kamryn and Aunt Lily liked to get into it once we got a little older,” Ryan said.

“That and they liked to point out some kinks Riker and Jeff have. It’s just _slightly_ disturbing,” Devin informed Hayden, who simply shook her head.

“It explains so much about you guys,” Hayden breathed out. Then, she turned to look at Ryan. “So, what’s your plan now, bub?”

“What do you mean?” Ryan asked in confusion.

“Y’all gonna go on dates? Like all those cliché ones? Is Grayson finally just gonna move in here?” Hayden asked. “Because lord knows he barely goes back to his own apartment. I wonder if his roommates miss him.”

“The dates thing is probably going to be a no-go for a while. At least public ones. I don’t want the media all up in my relationship again,” Ryan answered. “And _shut up_. He goes back to his place. Where do you think he went just now?”

“Ryan, he’s been here since Thursday. It is now Sunday. I’m pretty sure he has a collection of underwear and shorts in your dresser,” Devin said as Lasey curled into his side. “The dude practically lives here. Has been since, like, July.”

“Does he have a toothbrush here?” Lasey asked as she glanced back at Ryan, who simply stared back with wide eyes. Lasey snorted and once again returned her attention to her phone. “He basically lives here then, baby brother. A toothbrush means something.”

“Dude, Lowell doesn’t even have a toothbrush here,” Hayden deadpanned.

“It’s not like he brought it over! It was the extra one I keep in my bathroom! He’s just been the first one who needed it and it just stays there now!” Ryan exclaimed defensively.

“Living here,” Hayden, Devin, and Lasey all deadpanned.

“It’s cute, though,” Lasey assured. “I can already tell he’s gonna be super good for you. You guys are going to last. If you don’t, I blame you.”

“Wow, you’re such a great sister,” Ryan told her as he rolled her eyes. Lasey flashed a smile at him briefly while Devin chuckled.

“I don’t exist to be liked by my younger brother,” she added. “Plus, Kyler likes me plenty. I don’t need your love anymore.”

“That’s one way to look at it,” Hayden giggled.

“It’s the argument they’ve had ever since Avalon and Kyler were born. _I don’t need you, I have another sibling of your same sex_ ,” Devin laughed. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Just like your entire life,” Ryan gasped dramatically.

“Says the one who just ran around the living room in excitement over finally getting together with a guy he’s been practically dating for months anyway,” Devin replied with a shrug. Lasey and Hayden both snorted then while Ryan stuck his tongue out at Devin.

“We’ve had this conversation as to why I didn’t do anything, asshole,” Ryan hissed out. Devin gave Ryan a small, genuine smile then.

“I know, dude. And they’re valid reasons. I just gotta poke fun at you,” Devin replied. Ryan rolled his eyes and reached out to punch Devin’s shoulder.

“You’re an ass,” Ryan added. Devin simply hummed in agreement as he ran his fingers through Lasey’s hair.

“I try,” Devin breathed out.

“You succeed,” Ryan and Hayden told him in unison. Devin just smiled and Lasey giggled while she reached up to kiss lightly at Devin’s jaw.

“But he’s my ass,” she cooed as she pat his cheek.

“You can keep him,” Ryan laughed as he shifted to sink into the couch before he called Hestia over to jump into his lap. Hestia jumped up happily and rolled onto her back with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Ryan chuckled and scratched at her chest as he leaned down to kiss her muzzle.

“You’re ridiculous,” Hayden told Ryan as she shook her head. Ryan just smiled widely at her before he grabbed his phone off of the table as it started to ring.

“Hello,” Ryan answered.

“Details!” Jeff immediately exclaimed, followed by a small grunt.

“Honestly, Jeffry Alexander,” Riker sighed. “At least greet him properly before freaking out.”

“If you expected anything less then you still have learning to do, Daddy,” Ryan snorted.

“True,” Riker breathed as Jeff giggled in the background. Lasey looked at Ryan then with bright eyes and Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Hold on. I’m putting you on speaker because Lasey will be obnoxious otherwise,” Ryan breathed before he pulled his phone away from his ear and set it on the table to put it on speaker. “Okay, we’re good.”

“Wait, Grayson’s not there anymore, right?” Riker asked.

“No, why?” Ryan asked.

“ _Does he have a nice dick_?” Jeff immediately asked. Ryan heaved out a sigh and rubbed his temples while Lasey and Devin snorted with laughter. Hayden simply stared at the phone with raised eyebrows before she glanced at Ryan.

“ _That’s_ why I asked,” Riker sighed.

“Shut up. Answer my question, Ryan,” Jeff said forcefully.

“Ryan’s busy with his face in his hands, Papa,” Lasey said. “ _But_ , from what I could tell, he’s got a pretty good sized dick. It’s hard to judge since I haven’t seen him naked.”

“Ryan’s the only one who has,” Devin commented.

“Yeah, but we were just showering,” Ryan countered as he finally pulled his face out of his hands.

“Pity,” Hayden hummed as she flipped through the pages of the textbook in her lap.

“So? You can still determine if a flaccid dick is a nice dick,” Jeff countered.

“ _Oh my god_. Yes, he has a nice dick. Are you happy now?” Ryan asked dramatically as he threw his hands up into the air.

“Yes,” Jeff hummed primly.

“Does this mean you asked Lasey if Devin has a nice dick when they started dating?” Hayden asked suddenly with wide eyes.

“No. We’d seen Devin naked long before he and Lasey started dating,” Jeff replied easily.

“True statement,” Devin agreed with a small nod as he wrapped an arm around Lasey’s shoulders. Lasey simply hummed and leaned into Devin’s chest happily.

“ _Anyway_ , how did it happen?” Riker asked in interest. Ryan took a deep breath and sagged into the couch.

“Ryan tripped and accidentally grabbed Grayson’s dick when we were leaving the party last night. Once we got back Ryan ducked out to take Hestia for a walk and Grayson freaked, but then essentially cut off Ryan’s rambling by kissing him,” Hayden replied in a bored voice as she turned back to her textbook.

“Wait, seriously? You accidentally grabbed his junk?” Devin asked with a laugh.

“Yeah,” Ryan sighed. “He turned to try and catch me and didn’t compensate for the fact that instinct tells you to shoot your hands in front of you.”

“God, that’s _hilarious_ ,” Lasey cackled.

“At least you didn’t face plant into his crotch,” Jeff giggled.

“That’s one way to look at it,” Riker agreed.

“Not that Grayson would have minded. I mentioned this morning that Ryan sucked his thumb for forever and Grayson nearly choked on his own spit,” Lasey hummed.

“Aw, he sounds like an innocent one,” Jeff cooed.

“He is. He’s never had anal sex. Ryan was very shocked in his buzzed state to learn that information,” Devin said.

“It’s such a tragedy,” Ryan breathed out then as he pouted slightly. Hayden snorted and rolled her eyes.

“You have problems, dude,” Hayden told him.

“And you don’t have a prostate so you don’t _understand_ ,” Ryan replied with wide eyes. Riker and Jeff both made sounds of agreement and Lasey shook her head.

“Anyway, how was the party last night?” Riker suddenly asked.

“It was fun,” Lasey chirped. “I got pretty drunk. Too many drinking games with Rhonda.”

“So, a normal night for you around Rhonda?” Jeff asked.

“Yep!” Lasey replied brightly.

“Other than Lasey drinking, it was fun. It was better than the stupid frat parties on campus,” Ryan said.

“True,” Devin agreed. “Probably because we didn’t have to deal with frat guys.”

“Valid,” Hayden laughed.

“How was trick-or-treating with the beanies?” Ryan asked.

“Interesting,” Riker and Jeff replied in unison.

“They kept sneaking candy while we were walking and absolutely _crashed_ halfway home,” Riker snorted. “They already crashed tonight and they didn’t even really do anything all day.”

“Aw, little beanies,” Lasey giggled. “Can’t handle all that candy.”

“Nope,” Jeff agreed. “It was adorable though. They kept telling us they could walk by themselves even though they looked like zombies.”

“Silly beanies,” Ryan chuckled. Riker and Jeff both hummed in agreement.

“Lase, are you heading home later tonight or tomorrow morning?” Jeff asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” Lasey replied. “I don’t have to go back to campus until tomorrow night so I’m not rushing anything.”

“Mkay,” Jeff hummed. “See you tomorrow, then!”

“Wait, did you seriously call just to ask about Grayson’s dick?” Ryan asked.

“Yep!” Jeff chirped brightly.

“Jeffry’s priorities are skewed, hon,” Riker said. “But honestly? We’re both very happy for you. Don’t let everyone in on the betting pool get you down just because they don’t want to pay Devin.”

“Wait, you guys weren’t in on it?” Ryan asked in shock.

“For once, no,” Jeff said. “We don’t join betting pools involving you anymore.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Ryan breathed.

“Love you!” Jeff exclaimed then.

“Yeah, love you too,” Ryan replied as he rolled his eyes.

“Well, we shall let you guys go now. I doubt any of you did homework this weekend,” Riker said.

“Didn’t have any,” Ryan and Devin chirped in unison.

“Fuck you,” Hayden shot out.

“You’re the one who chose your double majors that require work,” Devin retorted.

“Yeah, exactly. My double major doesn’t require much from me…ever,” Ryan said.

“God, he is literally a mini-you, Rike,” Jeff breathed. “I bet Miri would accuse him of skipping too.”

“Hey! Some of my teachers just let me go early!” Ryan protested.

“Yes, I know. Mine did the same and Mom always accused me of skipping,” Riker chuckled.

“And Ryan certainly takes after you, Daddy,” Lasey giggled.

“You don’t even know,” Jeff breathed. “But, we’re going to go now. Bye! Love you!”

“Love you too,” Lasey and Ryan replied before Riker and Jeff hung up.

“Ten bucks says they’re going to have sex since Avalon and Kyler are already asleep,” Devin immediately said.

“I ain’t taking that because I know it’s true,” Ryan replied as he slumped down into the couch even more and adjusted Hestia in his lap.

“Pretty much,” Lasey agreed. “Plus, I know Papa somehow managed to find that stock of Peeps Daddy had hidden.”

“Ugh,” Ryan groaned.

“Yeah. That’s mainly the reason why I’m waiting to go home until tomorrow,” Lasey said.

“Don’t blame you,” Ryan and Devin breathed out.

“Your dad gets weird when he eats Peeps?” Hayden asked as she looked between them with a confused expression.

“To put it lightly, yeah,” Ryan told her. “He gets _terrible_ when he eats them. His filter disappears and Daddy spends most of his time with a hand clapped over Papa’s mouth. Aunt Lily _lives_ for it, though.”

“Because she’s weird,” Lasey huffed out as she threw one leg over the arm of the loveseat.

“Pretty much,” Ryan agreed.

“Your entire family is weird, dude,” Hayden countered.

“Point, but Aunt Lily is her own special form of weird,” Ryan informed. Devin and Lasey hummed in agreement. Hayden just shook her head and then gathered her books to walk off to her room.

“Movie?” Devin asked then as he looked over at Ryan.

“Movie,” Ryan agreed with a smile as he nudged Hestia out of his lap to go grab a movie to put on.

000000

“Okay, guys. You’re looking and sounding good, but you can be _better_ ,” Shanna told them as she looked around after the finished the dance for the last number. Everyone exchanged glances and then looked back towards Shanna. “Don’t give me that look. I’m not saying you need to get better _right this second_. We still have another week and a half before opening. You guys will be fine.”

“Good. And I hope you don’t expect us all to be at Ryan level. None of the rest of us grew up around parents who were obsessed with Starkid,” Marna said.

“No, I am not expecting you to be at Ryan’s level. It is clear Ryan is the most knowledgeable on this subject, which is why he is the lead,” Shanna told them while Ryan pursed his lips into a thin line.

“That’s more because he’s a _nerd_ ,” Alessandra cackled. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved her lightly.

“Am not,” Ryan countered. “I live with nerds though.”

“Especially since apparently Grayson is basically living with you guys now,” Josiah snorted. Ryan glared back at Josiah then, who shrugged in response. “What? I talk to his roommates and they told me that they rarely see him Thursdays through Sundays.”

“Aw, that’s cute,” Matt cooed as he bat his eyes at Ryan.

“You’re all terrible people,” Ryan told them.

“Oh, hush. It’s nice to see you happy, okay?” Alessandra said. “I mean, I only knew you to be in a relationship for a few months before y’all broke up, but you weren’t happy. You’re happy now.”

“Yeah, I am,” Ryan agreed with a small smile. Alessandra smiled back and leaned into Ryan’s side.

“You’re also disgusting about it,” Marna said as she looked at Ryan and rolled her eyes.

“If you’re talking about what I think you are, he deserves to be disgusting about it,” Devin commented as he walked onto the stage with a few lights. “I already know I’m not allowed to complain for a month after they start having sex.”

“Right you are, Dev,” Ryan said with a smug smile.

“Wait? You haven’t slept with him yet?” Matt gasped with wide eyes as he turned to Ryan.

“No,” Ryan replied as he walked over to his backpack to pull out his extra shirt.

“But he’s so fuckable!” Matt exclaimed. Ryan snorted as he pulled off his sweaty shirt.

“I know that, but I don’t jump into a relationship dick first,” Ryan replied as he pulled on a long sleeved shirt he had grabbed out of his clean laundry that morning.

“I can’t believe it. You’ve been with this guy for nearly two weeks and you haven’t done anything yet?” Marna asked.

“I never said _that_ …” Ryan drawled. Devin snorted from the wings and poked his head out onto the stage.

“I was about to call you out because I know for sure that you guys have done _something_ ,” Devin laughed. Ryan smirked then and winked at Devin. Devin’s jaw dropped in excitement then and he skipped in place. “Are you telling me with that expression that you’ve done _the thing_?”

“That I have,” Ryan replied with a smug smile. “That was the day he then tackled me _off_ of the bed.”

“That explains so much,” Devin breathed as he smiled and shook his head. Ryan just nodded and balled up his shirt to shove into his backpack.

“I still want to know what this _thing_ is,” Alessandra pouted stubbornly.

“Nope!” Grayson suddenly called out as he appeared out of the wings.

“But why not?” Alessandra asked dramatically.

“Because no,” Grayson replied as he gave Alessandra a serious expression. Ryan chuckled and shook his head.

“He’s being stubborn because of reasons _other_ than him wanting it to stay private,” Ryan said. “It’s more because he gets distracted when the topic is brought up.”

“You’re a menace,” Grayson said fondly as he walked over to kiss Ryan’s cheek. Ryan hummed and then kissed Grayson lightly.

“I try,” Ryan added as he pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson just smiled and rolled his eyes before he inspected Ryan.

“You know, I was wondering where that shirt went,” Grayson said. Ryan looked down then and pulled at the hem of the shirt.

“It was in my laundry,” Ryan replied with a shrug.

“Mmh. I must’ve left it there a few weeks ago,” Grayson hummed.

“God, y’all are seriously _disgusting_ ,” Josiah scoffed as he walked by.

“At least you don’t live with them!” Devin called out from backstage.

“Thank god for that,” Josiah replied as he waved a hand over his shoulder. “I don’t think I could stand it.”

“I’ve endured worse because of Devin, he can deal with it,” Ryan said before Devin could respond.

“That is true, to be honest,” Devin chuckled.

“I know,” Ryan replied. “But we’re going to head out. You need me to wait or you have another ride home?”

“Hayds and Lowell are both staying on campus a bit later today. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you guys at home,” Devin answered as he poked his head back out onto the stage again. “And just because you’re going to be in the apartment alone does not mean you can go at it in the middle of the living room.”

“Hark who’s talking,” Ryan said as he rolled his eyes. “Plus, it is _my_ apartment. I will do as I please where I please.”

“He’s got you there,” Grayson commented with a small shrug.

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to see it,” Devin replied.

“Wow. What a hypocrite, _again_ ,” Ryan deadpanned as he grabbed onto Grayson’s hand and started to walk away.

“I’ll shoot a warning text!” Devin called out.

“Okay!” Ryan replied as he and Grayson walked out of the theater.

“Were you seriously planning on doing something in the living room or something?” Grayson asked with furrowed eyebrows. Ryan snorted and shook his head as he swung their hands between them.

“No,” Ryan answered. “Eric and I may have had issues with doors but that was more him than me. I mean, I didn’t _mind_ , but I don’t go out of my way to be an exhibitionist. Plus, my relationship with Eric was way more physically fueled. Zero parts of that relationship were healthy, it’s just that the last year was more _obviously_ unhealthy.”

“Year?” Grayson gasped as he stared at Ryan. Ryan simply shrugged as he dropped into the driver’s seat of his car. Grayson scrambled into the passenger seat and continued to look over at Ryan.

“I’ll tell you another time, okay? And stop looking so worried. He only got physical once,” Ryan said as he pulled out of the parking spot. Grayson huffed out a stubborn breath and crossed his arms over his chest. Ryan smiled over at Grayson and reached out to rest a hand on Grayson’s thigh. “Calm down, it was nearly three years ago.”

“That doesn’t make it any less terrible, Ryan,” Grayson countered as he looked over at Ryan seriously. “It makes me so _furious_ to think that he did that to you. It makes me so mad that you ever once had to fear for your own wellbeing because of someone who was supposed to _love_ you.”

“I know,” Ryan said gently as he tightened his grip on Grayson’s thigh. “I know, Gray. No one should have to go through that, and it sucked going through it. But it’s better now, okay? _You_ make it better because you’re such a good person and I know you would gladly beat the shit out of Eric. It’s a comforting thought, but that doesn’t mean I want you to do it.”

“He would deserve it,” Grayson growled.

“I know,” Ryan agreed as he pulled into the parking lot of his building and parked in the spot next to Grayson’s car. “But at the same time he’s not worth the time and effort.”

Grayson huffed out a stubborn breath then as they both climbed out of the car. Ryan held out his hand wordlessly and Grayson accepted it. They both waved to Tracey as they walked through the lobby and she waved back with a smile. Once they were in the apartment, Ryan dropped his backpack to the floor and kicked off his shoes. Grayson followed suit and then allowed Ryan to lead him back to the bedroom. Hestia simply looked up from where she was on the couch before going back to sleep.

Ryan closed his bedroom door softly behind them and then turned to look at Grayson. Grayson stared back, expression still slightly annoyed. Ryan released a long sigh and then pushed Grayson towards the bed. Grayson went and they both sat down facing each other.

“I wish you didn’t know,” Ryan whispered. Grayson startled then and leaned back. Ryan rubbed at his forehead and then looked back at Grayson. “Not because I don’t trust you, I promise. Because it bothers you so much. I don’t like that it bothers you so much when it happened so long ago.”

“Ry, no,” Grayson breathed out as he reached over to take Ryan’s chin into his hand. “It bothers me because I care about you so much, okay? It _kills_ me that you ever had to go through that. You deserve so much and I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to give everything to you that I want. I [think about you all the time](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/118160022074) and just want you to be happy and I love you.”

[Ryan just stared at Grayson then](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/127864981139/loserchildhotpants-what-is-this-sweet-heaven), eyes flitting around Grayson’s face. Grayson stared back in slightly confusion, hand still on Ryan’s chin.

“What?” Grayson finally asked quietly.

“I just can’t believe you’re real. You’re real and you chose me and sometimes I can’t believe it. Eric would have never said anything like that to me. You’re just so perfect and I can’t believe you chose to be with _me_. God, I love you,” Ryan huffed out in a rush before he pulled Grayson’s face to his. Grayson hummed against Ryan’s mouth and then tugged Ryan close to himself.

Ryan let himself be pulled in, easily climbing into Grayson’s lap and straddling it. Grayson made a small noise and shifted beneath Ryan, hands reaching out to grasp at Ryan’s hips. Ryan hummed happily against Grayson’s lips before he pulled away to press their foreheads together. They both panted and looked at each other with blown pupils.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Grayson hissed out then before he pulled Ryan’s face back to his hungrily. Ryan chuckled against Grayson’s mouth as he fisted his hands in Grayson’s shirt.

“That is _definitely_ an option,” Ryan breathed against Grayson’s mouth. Grayson groaned loudly in response and tugged at Ryan’s shirt. Ryan smirked and pulled away to sit back on Grayson’s lap and take off his shirt. Grayson watched Ryan carefully, eyes raking down Ryan’s chest.

“God _yes_ ,” Grayson huffed out as he went to reach for Ryan, but Ryan stopped him. Grayson pouted then, eyebrows knit together.

“Stop looking so pathetic. You’re the one who hasn’t done this before. How do you want this to go?” Ryan asked seriously. Grayson made a small noise and shifted beneath Ryan once again. Ryan placed his hands on Grayson’s chest to steady him and looked down at Grayson seriously. “This is a serious question. I’m not going to ask you to do something you don’t want. I don’t expect anything. You can change your mind right now and that would be fine. Hell, you can change your mind mid-way and that would be fine.”

Grayson just nodded and wiggled around beneath Ryan, trying to thrust his hips up. Ryan made a stubborn noise and sat back further on Grayson, forcing him to stop his movement.

“Grayson,” Ryan growled. Grayson released a small noise then before he grasped at Ryan’s waistband.

“You top,” Grayson finally gasped out.

“You’re sure?” Ryan asked. Grayson just nodded as he panted and watched as Ryan smiled and then leaned down to kiss Grayson lightly. “You let me know if we need to stop and let me know if anything hurts, okay?”

“Yeah,” Grayson huffed out. Ryan hummed happily then before he got up to shove his pants off before tugging Grayson’s down. Grayson made an eager sound, immediately pushing his briefs down as Ryan grabbed lube from his bedside table drawer. Grayson made a noise though when Ryan went to grab a condom. “Ryan, we’re both clean. We got tested last week. _Please_.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Ryan said as he crawled back onto the bed. Grayson nodded quickly then and reached towards Ryan. Ryan smiled and crawled over Grayson to kiss him. “This way or front to back? Front to back might be a bit easier for you.”

“No. I want to see you,” Grayson said softly as he placed his hands on Ryan’s cheeks and looked into his eyes. Ryan nodded once and kissed Grayson once more before grabbing a pillow sitting back on his haunches. He pat Grayson’s hip then and Grayson easily lifted his hips. Ryan slid the pillow beneath Grayson and then opened the lube.

“Relax, okay? And let me know if I need to stop,” Ryan whispered. Grayson just nodded and grabbed at the sheets tightly as Ryan slowly worked one finger in. Ryan reached out with his free hand and rubbed Grayson’s thigh soothingly. Grayson relaxed slightly and released a deep breath. Ryan smiled encouragingly and leaned forward to kiss Grayson’s thigh. “You’re doing good, Gray. So good.”

“You can add,” Grayson panted out then as he shifted his hips. Ryan simply nodded and then obeyed slowly. He crooned and rubbed at Grayson’s thigh while he did, wanting Grayson to relax again.

Then, Ryan smirked as he began to search slowly. He knew he succeeded when Grayson twitched and then released a long moan, shoulders and abdomen loosening. Ryan prodded again and smiled smugly when Grayson relaxed further, another moan falling from his mouth.

“Now you know what you were missing,” Ryan whispered as he squeezed Grayson’s thigh. Grayson just nodded frantically as he took a deep, steadying breath. “You okay for one more?”

“Y-yeah,” Grayson stuttered out as his hips twitched slightly.

“Just try and stay relaxed, Gray. You’re doing so well,” Ryan crooned as he slowly added in a third finger. Grayson tensed briefly, but then relaxed as Ryan began to move his fingers. Ryan hummed happily and rested his cheek against Grayson’s raised knee. Grayson released a long breath then before he looked up at Ryan and nodded once.

“ _Please_ ,” Grayson whined then. Ryan smiled widely and leaned forward to kiss Grayson briefly. Grayson made a stubborn noise when Ryan removed his hand, and then a noise of confusion as Ryan crawled up the bed. Ryan just smiled and leaned back against the headboard before he beckoned Grayson. Grayson went to Ryan easily and Ryan smiled as he placed his un-lubed hand against Grayson’s chest.

“Calm. This is not meant to be fast,” Ryan assured. Grayson nodded once and watched Ryan intently as Ryan got more lube. “Okay, you are not to push yourself. You go at the pace _you_ need.”

“Okay,” Grayson breathed out with a nod before he straddled himself over Ryan’s lap. Ryan smiled encouragingly as he placed his hands gently on Grayson’s hips and rubbed his thumbs gently across the skin there. Grayson sank down slowly and Ryan tensed his legs to keep still, thumbs still brushing over Grayson’s hips.

“Okay?” Ryan asked quietly once Grayson was fully seated. Grayson nodded once as he took a deep breath.

“J-just hold on,” Grayson panted.

“Of course,” Ryan replied as he grabbed onto one of Grayson’s hands and then kissed it. Grayson continued to take deep breaths and then tightened his grip on Ryan’s hand before he began to move. They both moaned and Ryan gripped at Grayson’s hip a bit harder. Grayson’s chest heaved as he screwed his eyes shut and Ryan kissed his hand again. “Remember, _your_ pace.”

“Y-yeah,” Grayson huffed out as he began to sink back down slowly. Ryan pulled his legs up slightly then and Grayson sighed happily as he leaned back against Ryan’s knees. Ryan smiled to himself and ran his thumbs lightly over Grayson’s abdomen. Grayson shivered and his legs gave out briefly. He slid back down into Ryan’s lap quickly and gasped out a moan. “ _Ryan_.”

“You’re doing good. Keep going,” Ryan assured as he kneaded Grayson’s sides lightly. Grayson shook his head frantically then before he took a deep breath. Ryan immediately froze and placed his hands on Grayson’s hips, ready to shift them apart.

“No, no, no,” Grayson babbled then as his eyes shot open to look at Ryan. “Not that kind of no.”

“Oh,” Ryan sighed in relief as he relaxed once again and then shifted his hips slightly. The movement pulled another moan from Grayson and Ryan smiled.

“I need…I _need_ ,” Grayson panted, clearly unable to finish his statement. Ryan chuckled and leaned forward slightly to press a kiss to Grayson’s jaw line.

“We can move again, but you have to put effort in,” Ryan assured as he reached up to pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson simply nodded then before he placed his hands on Ryan’s chest and began to move up once more. Ryan bit back a moan and then met Grayson with a small thrust as Grayson began to sink back down.

A surprised keen fell from Grayson’s mouth and his hands balled into fists against Ryan’s chest. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and continued his actions. Grayson panted and tensed his muscles slightly. Ryan let out a surprised moan and his hips twitched reflexively, which caused another moan to be pulled from Grayson’s throat.

“ _Ryan, please_ ,” Grayson panted as he opened his eyes to look down at Ryan. Ryan smiled mischievously then and winked up at Grayson as they both continued to move together. Grayson stared curiously down at Ryan, but then groaned loudly as Ryan curled inward to take Grayson into his mouth. Grayson panted loudly and then immediately began to babble nonsense as his hands scrabbled at Ryan’s back. Ryan hummed smugly, which earned him another loud groan.

Ryan continued to move his hips slightly, as Grayson seemed to be doing most of the movement as he rocked between Ryan’s hips and mouth. Ryan hummed again and Grayson released a high-pitched keen as his muscles tensed. Ryan smirked as best as he good and gave one more hum. Grayson keened loudly as his hips stuttered before he collapsed back against Ryan’s knees. Ryan pulled off of Grayson then and panted as Grayson clenched around him. Grayson wiggled slightly and Ryan groaned as his own body released. Grayson made a small, interested sound but didn’t move at all.

“You okay?” Ryan asked a minute later as he looked at Grayson, who was sprawled across Ryan’s knees while he panted. Grayson simply nodded and smiled down at Ryan. Ryan smiled back and grabbed Grayson’s hand to kiss is quickly before he maneuvered Grayson off of his lap briefly. Grayson made a small noise of protest but then quickly shifted to bury his face against Ryan’s neck. Ryan smiled and buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of Grayson’s neck.

“Is higher functioning unavailable?” Ryan asked in a chuckle. Grayson nodded into Ryan’s neck and Ryan chuckled again as he kissed the side of Grayson’s head. Grayson hummed happily and kissed the crook of Ryan’s neck. Ryan’s phone went off then and he sighed as he picked it up to look at the text. “Ugh, they’re on the elevator.”

“ _No_ ,” Grayson groaned.

“Oh! It can speak!” Ryan exclaimed with a wide smile. Grayson sat up then and gave Ryan a deadpan expression. Ryan scrunched up his nose and leaned forward to kiss Grayson’s jaw. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Grayson whispered happily. Ryan chuckled and then pat Grayson’s thigh.

“We should wash up. And you definitely need a new shirt. That one is covered in lube,” Ryan said. Grayson heaved out a sigh but then climbed out of Ryan’s lap, only to flop out onto the bed. “Nope, c’mon. Quick wash-up. You’re gonna leak all over the bed. Don’t even say that’s my fault because you were the one who _begged_ to not use a condom.”

“God, shut up,” Grayson grumbled as he shoved himself up from the bed and tore his shirt off to throw in the dirty laundry basket. Ryan just smiled and grabbed a wash cloth to dampen with warm water. He washed his hands quickly then before he walked over to Grayson with the wash cloth.

“Turn,” Ryan said. Grayson eyed Ryan cautiously and Ryan rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You’re skeptical _now_?”

“Point” Grayson replied with a nod of his head before he turned. Ryan snorted and then cleaned off Grayson’s skin quickly. Grayson shivered slightly and Ryan chuckled as he pinched Grayson’s side lightly before he threw the wash cloth into the laundry basket as well.

“C’mon, clothes,” Ryan said as he walked over to his dresser to pull out a pair of sweats for himself. Grayson walked over as well and pulled out a pair of boxer briefs to pull on.

“Honeys, we’re home!” Hayden called out as they heard the front door slam open.

“Wotcher, Hayden. This is a door and there is a wall behind it,” Lowell chastised.

“She cares not for the wellbeing of the wall,” Ryan snorted as he opened his bedroom door.

“Never has,” Devin breathed as he dropped his bag to the floor next to Ryan’s.

“That poor wall and door,” Grayson sighed as he walked up behind Ryan dressed in a pair of Ryan’s sweatpants and an old Midnight Swallows shirt.

“Ryan, how are you walking around without a shirt? It’s November,” Hayden questioned as she took in Ryan’s appearance. Ryan shrugged in response as Grayson draped across his back, arms hanging over Ryan’s shoulders.

“I have a good cuddle buddy,” Ryan added in response as he pat Grayson’s arm. Grayson hummed happily and kissed Ryan’s cheek. Devin looked over at them then with one questioning eyebrow raised. Ryan looked back and gave Devin a warning look. A wide smile spread across Devin’s face then before he gave Ryan a subtle thumbs-up. Ryan smiled back and rolled his eyes.

“So, what are the plans for tonight?” Hayden asked as she collapsed onto the couch next to Hestia and reached over to scratch Hestia’s muzzle lightly.

“You don’t have any homework?” Devin asked.

“For once, no,” Hayden replied as Lowell sat down on her free side. “Next exam isn’t until the end of the week so I’m not worrying about it until Wednesday.”

“Ah, so on Wednesday this apartment is going to turn into bio study central?” Ryan asked as he dragged Grayson over to the loveseat.

“Probably,” Hayden and Grayson hummed in unison. Devin released an exaggerated sigh and dropped into the recliner.

“That still doesn’t answer the question of what we’re doing tonight,” Hayden said as she shifted to lean into Lowell’s side.

“Same as normal, yeah?” Lowell asked. “Movies and take-out.”

“God yes. Someone order, like, three pizzas,” Ryan breathed. Grayson snorted and pat Ryan’s chest lightly. Devin smiled and rolled his eyes over at Ryan.

“Your old habits die hard, buddy23,” Devin told him.

“I know. Carbs though, man,” Ryan replied.

“Point,” Devin chuckled as he pulled out his phone. “What kind of pizzas do we want?”

“One bbq chicken and two regular,” Ryan immediately chirped. Devin rolled his eyes once more as he looked over at Devin.

“Have we gone back in time?” Devin asked.

“No. It’s just what my body wants,” Ryan huffed out. Devin snorted at that and gave Ryan a sarcastic expression. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes. “Shut up and order the pizza. We’ll have a more in depth conversation later.”

“You bet your ass we are,” Devin laughed before he dialed his phone. Hayden looked between Devin and Ryan, confused.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Ryan replied as he slouched down and leaned into Grayson’s side with Grayson’s arm wrapped around his shoulder and chest.

“It seems like it’s easier not to ask, babe,” Lowell said as he ruffled Hayden’s hair. Hayden huffed out a stubborn breath and jut out her bottom lip.

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson told her.

“I know,” Hayden chirped. “But so are you, so there’s that.”

“Very true,” Grayson agreed with a chuckle. Ryan snorted and tipped his head back to look up at Grayson.

“The difference is that you’re going to be very famous soon and then your ridiculousness will be adored by all. Hayden is just some person on the sidelines,” Ryan said. Grayson snorted out a laugh and leaned down to smack a kiss to Ryan’s forehead.

“You’re a terrible person,” Hayden grumbled.

“I try,” Ryan hummed as he smiled innocently over at Hayden.

“Pizzas in about an hour. Are we continuing with Brandywine?” Devin asked after he hung up his phone.

“Yeah. We were mid-way through season two,” Ryan replied.

“You know, it’s kind-of weird to watch that show,” Grayson commented.

“It’s mostly because Ryan is basically a copy of Riker,” Hayden said. Lowell and Devin both hummed in agreement while Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“It’s not _that_ bad,” Ryan hummed.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not weird,” Grayson replied as he wrapped both arms around Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan just snorted and nudged his forehead into Grayson’s cheek.

“Ugh. Stop that,” Hayden complained.

“Your fault for watching them,” Devin told her as he clicked through the DVD menu.

“He’s got a point,” Lowell agreed. Hayden just made an annoyed noise and slumped down with her arms crossed over her chest stubbornly.

“I hate you all,” she added.

“Love you too,” they all replied easily while they settled down and turned their attention to the TV.

000000

“Oh my god, how old were you here?” Grayson asked as he held up a picture to Ryan. Ryan looked at the picture and giggled before he grabbed it to inspect in. In the picture, he and Lasey were sitting on the kitchen counter, both smiling widely. Lasey was dressed as Tarzan and Ryan was decked out in a pink tutu.

“I was four there,” Ryan hummed as he smiled down at the picture. “We used to have dress up days with Jude when she babysat us.”

“Jude babysat you?” Grayson asked as he looked at Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan hummed in response and reached into the box to pull out a picture of Jude sitting with both Lasey and Ryan in her lap.

“She was thirteen when I was four. Daddy and Papa trusted her with us. I just adored it because she let me watch Princess and the Frog all the time,” Ryan giggled as he smiled at Grayson. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he leaned to the side slightly to bump their shoulders together.

“You were adorable at four,” Grayson added.

“Mmh, you don’t even know,” Ryan giggled as he pulled the box of pictures towards himself to search through it. He made a triumphant noise when he found the picture he wanted and pulled it out to show Grayson. Grayson stared at the picture in which Ryan was sitting in Riker’s lap and reaching towards Riker’s phone. They were both smiling with Mickey hats on their heads and Ryan was clutching a Koda blanket to his neck.

“You know, this is the first picture I’ve seen that you super look like your dad,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan smiled and leaned against Grayson’s shoulder. “I mean, aside from watching Brandywine High.”

“Yeah. I’ve always been called the mini-Riker,” Ryan breathed out. “At one point Gramma went through and compiled a bunch of pictures from when Daddy was little and put them next to pictures of me.”

“That must’ve been interesting,” Grayson commented. Ryan hummed in agreement.

“Papa got really sentimental at some of the pictures. It was ridiculous,” Ryan chuckled. Grayson made a small noise and reached into the box to pull out a random picture. Ryan hooked his chin over Grayson’s shoulder to look at the picture and smiled. The picture showed Jude, Leon, Lasey, and Ryan all sprawled across the couch, blankets and pillows around them.

“When was this?” Grayson asked.

“When Jude was pregnant with Luca. She lived with us for the duration of her pregnancy and that’s what a normal Saturday morning looked like during the summer,” Ryan replied as he plucked the picture from Grayson’s fingers to take a picture to send to Lasey and Jude.

“How come she lived with you guys?” Grayson asked. Ryan huffed out a breath as he sent the picture and then put his phone down.

“Addie wasn’t happy with the fact that Jude was pregnant. Jude chose to live with us instead of be in a toxic environment. Addie came around once Luca was born, though. Which was good since Papa and I were _super_ ill when she gave birth,” Ryan snorted. “Coincidentally, Papa was also sick when Jude gave birth to Spencer. He was so mad though because the twins were born just a few days later. He banned anyone from going to the hospital to visit before he was able to.”

“Sounds like he’s an interesting person,” Grayson laughed.

“To say the least,” Ryan replied as he reached into the box to pull out another picture. The picture depicted Riker and Jeff at the age of seventeen, sitting on the front steps of Riker’s house with snow around them, though Riker was wearing a short sleeved shirt. “Papa loves Daddy with all his heart though.”

“How old were they there?” Grayson asked as he scooted closer to Ryan.

“Seventeen. According to them, this was taken about a month after they _officially_ got together,” Ryan answered as he tipped his head onto Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson hummed as he inspected the picture carefully.

“Your dad has cuts,” Grayson finally breathed. Ryan huffed out a small breath then and nodded.

“Yeah. He wasn’t in the best place then. Granted, he’d been worse in earlier years, but he still struggled a lot throughout all of high school and college. It’s a rare occurrence now, but it always sends us into a panic,” Ryan said quietly.

“Is that what happened that day of the photo shoot?” Grayson whispered. Ryan simply nodded.

“Yeah. The occurrences have been a bit more frequent since Uncle Jason died nearly four years ago. Uncle Jason died the same day my grandpa had. It was a tough day,” Ryan informed. “That was the day I found out everything. The only other time it had come up before that I was only two. Lasey had found this exact picture in an album and questioned about the cuts. She remembered but even if I’d been awake I wouldn’t have retained any of the information.”

“That sucks,” Grayson breathed. Ryan simply nodded in agreement and reached into the box for another picture.

“The twins help. The idea to have another kid came about after everything with Uncle Jason. None of us expected twins, though,” Ryan said as he smiled down at the picture, which was all of them at the lake house last summer. Riker and Jeff were sitting in chairs on the dock with the twins in their laps while Lasey and Ryan were sitting on the dock in front of them. Hestia was sprawled happily across Ryan’s lap, tongue lolling out of her mouth.

“That’s a good picture of all of you,” Grayson commented. Ryan smiled widely and nodded.

“Yeah. That was last summer. We went to our lake house for Daddy and Papa’s anniversary,” Ryan told Grayson. “That’s when Hayden met a bunch of my family. She rolled with the punches pretty well, though.”

“From what I can tell, that’s a good thing,” Grayson snorted. Ryan just nodded in agreement as he stacked up all the pictures they had taken out so far.

“Pretty much,” Ryan added. Then, he squeaked in excitement as he looked at the next picture he pulled out of the box. Grayson looked at Ryan with raised eyebrows and Ryan ignored him as he giggled down at the picture. “Devin!”

“What?” Devin asked.

“Come hither!” Ryan squeaked as he grabbed his phone to take a picture.

“One sec!” Devin replied. Ryan just continued to giggle as he wiggled his toes happily. Devin appeared a few seconds later and dropped himself heavily on top of Ryan’s back. “What’s up, pudding cup?”

“This,” Ryan giggled as he held up the picture for Devin to see. Devin immediately began to chuckle as he took the picture from Ryan.

“I forgot about this,” Devin breathed as he held the picture in front of Ryan, which showed them standing next to each other in white leotards and bunny ears on their heads, noses dotted with pink and cheeks lined with whiskers.

“Me too,” Ryan agreed.

“What is it?” Grayson asked as he leaned over to look at the picture.

“This was us at the mere age of three after our first dance recital,” Devin replied. “We thought we were so cool because we got to be bunnies. Lasey thought it was hilarious and chased us around with carrots for a week.”

“Wait, _that’s you_?” Grayson asked in astonishment as he pointed to the one toddler in the picture.

“Yeah,” Devin replied.

“He had the pudgiest of cheeks until we were, like, ten,” Ryan added as he reached behind himself to try and pat Devin’s cheek. Devin simply tried to bite at Ryan’s fingers as he wrapped his arms around Ryan’s neck. Ryan giggled and nuzzled into Devin’s arms.

“You’re both ridiculous,” Grayson told them.

“We know,” Ryan and Devin chirped in unison as they turned to smile at Grayson.

“Plus, you’re no one to talk. You literally are unable to form words for, like, ten minutes after sex,” Devin chirped. Grayson froze then and stared at Devin with wide eyes. Devin chuckled and leaned over to clap Grayson on the shoulder. “I’m not an idiot, man. I was here the other day. It was from a lot of unintelligible ramblings to complete silence, and I know that ain’t Ryan. He’s pretty quiet, and when he’s not, it’s just moans.”

“Valid point,” Ryan said with a shrug.

“God, you’re both terrible,” Grayson breathed out. Devin laughed and ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“Just be glad Hayds wasn’t here. She would either get really weird about hearing you or poke fun,” Devin told him.

“Which, really. She is no one to judge. She should hear herself sometimes,” Ryan snorted.

“God, I know,” Devin agreed as he rolled off of Ryan’s back. “That’s why they go to Lowell’s place now. She was done with us making fun of her.”

“Yeah, but she’s not allowed to complain about us. I own this apartment. She can deal with it,” Ryan hummed as he grabbed another picture out of the box.

“God, how have you not _burned_ this?” Devin asked as he snatched the picture out of Ryan’s hands. Ryan shrugged as he looked down at the picture of himself and Eric. They were both in their Midnight Swallows uniforms and Ryan was standing with one hand extended out, head tilted to the side as he smirked. Eric was next to him, a fond smile on his face as he looked over at Ryan.

“That’s Eric?” Grayson asked in a tight voice. Ryan leaned into Grayson’s side and nodded.

“Yeah. That was freshman year of high school. We weren’t even dating then,” Ryan said.

“We were all waiting for it, though,” Devin commented. “At least our class was. Lasey tried her hardest to prevent it. She always saw through Eric’s shit.”

“Yeah. She’s a good sister when she’s not being a pain in my ass,” Ryan breathed. Grayson simply hummed and buried his face in Ryan’s neck. Ryan smiled and pat Grayson’s cheek. “You need to chill, Gray. We all have an asshole ex.”

“True, but your asshole ex is worse than most asshole exes,” Devin said as he clapped Ryan on the back.

“Pretty much,” Grayson agreed.

“Yeah, but now I have you!” Ryan chirped brightly as he turned to wrap himself around Grayson. Grayson just smiled and rolled his eyes before he blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan giggled hysterically and then wormed his way beneath Grayson’s arm to nuzzle into his chest. Devin smiled and shook his head as he shoved up from Ryan’s bed.

“You chose this, man,” Devin told Grayson. “You decided to love him, so now you gotta deal with this shit

“I regret nothing,” Grayson replied before he squeaked as Ryan giggled and bit at his neck. Grayson giggled as well then and wrapped Ryan up tightly and buried his face in Ryan’s neck. Ryan continued to giggle and then released a screech when Grayson bit back at his neck. Devin just shook his head as he left, closing the door most of the way behind him.

“No more vampirism!” Ryan squeaked as he giggled and attempted to push Grayson off of himself. Grayson just laughed and rolled on top of Ryan completely.

“ _All_ the vampirism,” Grayson added.

“You don’t need to be a vampire to give hickeys,” Ryan giggled.

“God, [_shut up_](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/108406849949),” Grayson snorted.

“Make me,” Ryan immediately retorted. Grayson looked down at Ryan then with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

“I can, but you might moan a little,” Grayson replied in a whisper. Ryan stared up at Grayson for a few seconds then before he giggled manically and pulled Grayson’s face to his.

“God, I love you,” Ryan giggled against Grayson’s lips. Grayson chuckled in response and kissed the tip of Ryan’s nose.

“Love you too,” Grayson added. Ryan hummed happily and kissed Grayson’s cheek before he pat it.

“You know you have to go home soon, right?” Ryan asked. Grayson groaned dramatically and rolled off of Ryan. Ryan chuckled and crawled on top of Grayson to sit on Grayson’s hips. “I mean, you do pay rent on your apartment. You _should_ spend some time there.”

“Do I have to?” Grayson asked.

“Technically, no. But don’t your roommates miss you?” Ryan asked. Grayson shrugged in response.

“I see them all other places,” Grayson added. Ryan snorted and pat Grayson’s cheek.

“Still. They like you enough to have moved off campus with you. You should see them at some point,” Ryan chided. Grayson shrugged again. “That and, seriously, you pay rent there.”

“Yeah, that’s the bigger part,” Grayson chuckled as he reached up to place his hands lightly on Ryan’s hips. Ryan hummed in agreement and leaned down to kiss Grayson lightly.

“Plus, you only have a small stock of clothing here. You’re going to need more clothes at some point,” Ryan commented. Grayson tipped his head slightly to the side in agreement as he pressed his thumbs into Ryan’s hips. Ryan made a small noise but then slapped at Grayson’s hands. “No, this is not to turn into sex. This is a serious conversation.”

“It’s not _that_ serious, Ry,” Grayson countered. Ryan rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and pinched Grayson’s side.

“C’mon, seriously. You should go back home. God knows you never get any work done when you’re here. Which, by the way, means you are banned from here during finals week. I am not going to fail my finals because you refuse to leave my dick alone,” Ryan said.

“Hey!” Grayson squawked indignantly as he pinched Ryan’s side. Ryan just laughed and slapped at Grayson’s hands.

“Plus, I’d rather you don’t fail your finals. That just means I’m a bad boyfriend if you fail because of me,” Ryan hummed. Grayson sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I can agree with that, I guess,” Grayson huffed out.

“Good boy,” Ryan replied as he pat Grayson’s cheek and then got up. Grayson made a stubborn noise but then got up as well to follow Ryan out of the bedroom.

“Finished going down memory lane?” Devin asked from where he was sitting at the dining room table surrounded by textbooks.

“Mhm. I’m sending Grayson on his merry way back to his own apartment,” Ryan replied.

“Oh wow. Exiling the boyfriend. Never thought I’d see the day,” Hayden commented as she flipped a page in her textbook.

“No, finals week is when the exiling is taking place. This is just that he needs to go home,” Ryan snorted as he walked behind Hayden and flicked the back of her head. She made a stubborn noise and waved a hand in Ryan’s direction.

“Wait, why is Grayson being exiled during finals week?” Hayden asked as she looked up with wide eyes. “I was going to study with him for our bio classes!”

“We’ll study at the library, calm down,” Grayson told her as he grabbed his backpack from the floor by the door.

“But why can’t we study here?” Hayden countered. Devin snorted then and shook his head.

“Because no studying would get done. Sex is a great procrastination tactic and lord knows Ryan uses it when he can,” Devin said without looking up from his textbooks. “Eric nearly failed a semester in high school because of it.”

“Exactly,” Ryan agreed as he pointed in Devin’s direction. “I refuse to fail any classes and I refuse to let Grayson fail any classes.”

“Y’all can’t just not have sex?” Hayden asked dramatically. Ryan and Grayson exchanged a look and then looked back at Hayden.

“Ryan might be able to hold back, but I probably wouldn’t,” Grayson said honestly with a shrug. He leaned over to kiss Ryan’s cheek lightly then as he grabbed his keys. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” Ryan replied as he smacked Grayson’s ass playfully as Grayson walked out the door. Hayden watched him with an annoyed expression.

“You really can’t keep it to yourself?” she asked stubbornly.

“You just heard Grayson, it would be him more than Ryan,” Devin said in a bored voice. “And then Ryan would give in quickly because begging does him in.”

“Pretty much,” Ryan agreed as he walked over and collapsed onto the couch with Hestia.

“How do you even know that begging would happen?” Hayden asked in an annoyed voice. Ryan and Devin exchanged a look then before they both snorted.

“Oh, I know,” Devin added with a smirk. “Though, I can admit that Grayson doesn’t seem to be a likely beggar due to his physical appearance, but _damn_. He and Ryan are a bit too well suited in that area.”

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed with a smirk.

“Ugh, you’re gross,” Hayden hissed as she shook her head at Ryan.

“Hark who’s talking,” Ryan replied. “You’re louder than Grayson is.”

“Accurate,” Devin laughed in agreement. Hayden looked between Ryan and Devin then with furrowed eyebrows before her eyes widened.

“ _Wait_ , _did you guys actually have sex finally_?” Hayden squeaked. Ryan smiled widely then and Hayden bugled happily. “What? When?”

“Friday,” Ryan replied.

“And at least once yesterday,” Devin added. “I think we’re lucky we saw them on Friday afternoon.”

“Gross,” Hayden shot out easily. “But, okay, who topped?”

“Ryan,” Devin answered quickly. “First, he had scratches all over his back on Friday. I don’t know how you didn’t notice them. Second, Ryan just had that smug air about him afterwards both times. Third, Ryan was too quiet to be the one bottoming. He’s louder when he’s on bottom.”

“All accurate points,” Ryan agreed as he pet Hestia’s ears.

“You guys know too much about each other’s sex lives,” Hayden breathed as she shook her head.

“It happens when you live together for four years in a dorm,” Devin replied with a shrug. Ryan nodded in agreement as he pulled out his phone to see a text from Grayson saying that he arrived home.

“Yeah. Going to Westtown meant you knew intimate details about the lives of pretty much everyone in your class,” Ryan told Hayden as he sent Grayson a happy face in response.

“Yep. Been that way since Ry’s parents went there,” Devin added. Ryan hummed in agreement and slouched down slightly as he grabbed the TV remote.

“Guess I’m glad I didn’t go there, then,” Hayden breathed as she got more comfortable in the recliner. Ryan and Devin both shrugged in response.

“We were an awkward family of teenagers. It happens,” Ryan said as he flipped through channels. Devin made a noise in agreement.

“Dude, we gotta figure out winter break. The movie premiere is, like, the week after break starts,” Devin suddenly said. Ryan heaved out a sigh and threw his head back.

“We’ll work it out with Grayson later. How about that?” Ryan asked. Devin just nodded in agreement.

“You know he’s gonna have to meet your family at some point too, dude,” Devin told Ryan.

“Yeah, I know. I’ve been thinking about it. I’ll probably see if he wants to come home with us. Just want to make sure the press doesn’t necessarily find out. It’s going to be a shit show if the media finds out we’re dating,” Ryan breathed. Devin grunted in agreement.

“I think it would be okay since it will be winter break. If you brought him home any other time speculation might start,” Devin said.

“Point,” Ryan agreed with a small nod.

“You know the media is going to find out at some point, though, right?” Hayden asked.

“Yeah, I know. But it’d be nice to at least hold it off for a while. Grayson’s not really used to the whole _being in the public eye_ thing yet,” Ryan replied. Hayden simply nodded then and shrugged.

“As long as you have your own plan,” she said as she turned back to her textbook.

“Yeah. Enough talking. We have work,” Devin grunted out. Ryan just saluted Devin in response as he turned the TV volume down. Hayden just smiled and rolled her eyes before she turned her attention back to her own textbook while they all fell silent with the TV on as background noise.

000000

“I need a shower, like, _yesterday_ ,” Ryan complained as he stripped out of his costume and the fake glasses he’d been wearing fell to the floor. Alessandra giggled and pat Ryan’s shoulder before making a disgusted noise.

“God, you really do,” Alessandra added as she walked further into the dressing room to change out of her own costume. “I don’t know how you deal with going running on a regular basis if you get _that_ sweaty from being on stage.”

“I deal with it because as soon as I get back I shower,” Ryan told her.

“Don’t tell lies, Ryan,” Devin snorted as he walked into the dressing room and picked up the glasses from the floor. “Lately you’ve been getting sweatier first.”

“That was _once_ ,” Ryan huffed out stubbornly. Devin quirked an eyebrow and Ryan stared back stubbornly as everyone else looked between them.

“Still happened,” Devin finally said with a shrug. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Devin off as he took off the button down he’d been wearing.

“I constantly wonder what happens in your apartment, by the way,” Marna commented. “I feel like that apartment is its own world.”

“It is,” Grayson chuckled as he appeared and walked over to kiss Ryan’s cheek. “You did great.”

“Thanks, Gray,” Ryan hummed happily as he kissed Grayson’s cheek as well before he shoved his pants off to change.

“Whoa! Half naked people!” a girl exclaimed. Grayson heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Elliot, oh my god, do I need to make you wait back outside?” Grayson asked. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. Ryan smiled and peeked around Grayson at her.

“Hi! You must be Grayson’s last roommate! I’m Ryan,” Ryan giggled as he smiled widely at her.

“I’m Ellie and I can see why Grayson chose you,” Ellie replied with a smirk as she looked Ryan over.

“Hey, I did not bring you to meet him so you could objectify him,” Grayson hissed at her.

“Yeah, that’s Grayson’s job,” Matt laughed. Grayson sent a glare in Matt’s direction and Matt smiled widely. “You can glare all you want, but I caught you watching Ryan’s ass so many times during rehearsals.”

“It’s a nice butt,” Ryan said with a shrug as he grabbed his sweatpants to pull on.

“Don’t get conceited over your own ass, dude,” Josiah scolded.

“I don’t. I just know because of how many people ogle, of which you are one of them, Josiah,” Ryan retorted. Josiah stopped then and stared over at Ryan, who simply gave Josiah an innocent smile. “I’m not stupid.”

“Questionable. It took you and Grayson until Halloween to pull your heads out of your asses,” Devin chuckled as he collapsed onto the couch in the dressing room.

“Fuck off,” Ryan replied as he pulled on a hoodie, which happened to be one of Riker’s old Brandywine High ones.

“I can’t. Lasey’s not here,” Devin chirped with a smile. Ryan rolled his eyes and picked up his bag to sling over his shoulder.

“I will literally roll around in your bed while I am still a sweaty mess, don’t test me, Porter,” Ryan growled. Devin just rolled his eyes and waved a hand in Ryan’s direction. “C’mon, Gray. I’m done being around these losers.”

“See you tomorrow!” everyone called out. Ryan just waved over his shoulder as he walked away, Grayson and Ellie following behind him.

“So, I don’t know what you wanted to do tonight, but I hands down need to shower,” Ryan said as he looked back at Grayson, who shrugged.

“God, you guys don’t even make plans together?” Ellie asked.

“No. We usually just drink and watch movies on Fridays,” Grayson told her with a shrug.

“Yep. But drinking is out tonight as I have two shows to do tomorrow,” Ryan chirped. “Which, by the way, we need you to fix the paint on one of the pillars. Daria ran into it tonight and scraped it up.”

“How much of it?” Grayson asked.

“Just a small section. Like, it’s large enough to be noticed but it’s not big enough to be a hassle,” Ryan replied as he shivered when they walked outside. Grayson made a noise in understanding and pulled Ryan into his side. Ryan hummed happily and cuddled into Grayson’s side as best as he could while they walked.

“God, you guys are ridiculous,” Ellie breathed. “I understand now why Shannon and Kaleb don’t want you at our apartment.”

“Oh, shut up. Half the time they don’t want to be there either because of you and your rotation of sleeping partners,” Grayson retorted. Ellie shrugged with a small smile then.

“I can’t help that I’m wanted,” she hummed primly.

“You can help always bringing them back to our place,” Grayson told her. Ellie snorted then and shook her head.

“Yeah, _our_ place that you barely spend any time at lately. It’s not like you give two shits about it. Shannon’s even taken to sleeping in your bed since you’re not there most nights,” Ellie informed. Grayson shrugged and made a face.

“I don’t care. At least Shans doesn’t have to get sexiled, then,” Grayson added.

“Aw, there’s the upside!” Ryan giggled as he pat Grayson’s abdomen. Ellie smiled and shook her head at them. “So, what do we want to do tonight?”

“Movies without the drinking?” Grayson asked. Ryan hummed and adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“My place still? I have to get Hestia out for a walk,” Ryan said.

“That’s fine. Do you care if Ellie tags along? She hasn’t met any of you guys yet,” Grayson said.

“Mmh. That’s fine. You can invite Shannon and Kaleb as well if you want. Just make sure they know not to let anyone else know what apartment number I’m in,” Ryan hummed as they reached his car and he turned to pat Grayson’s chest.

“I’ll just go pick them up. It will reduce the probability of someone seeing it in their phones,” Grayson replied.

“Mmh, that works,” Ryan hummed as he smiled at Grayson.

“Is there a particular reason you don’t want your apartment number out there?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, and it has nothing to do with my fame,” Ryan replied as he gave her a sweet smile. He turned back to Grayson then and kissed him quickly. “See you back at my place in a bit. Lowell and Hayden should be there to let you in if I’m still showering.”

“Mkay. Drive safe,” Grayson told Ryan.

“You too,” Ryan replied before he climbed into his car. Grayson smiled and waved before he started to walk off with Elli towards his own car. Ryan waved back quickly before he drove off.

“Hey! Gray’s coming over with his roommates in a bit! Let them in if I’m in the shower!” Ryan called out as he walked into the apartment. Hestia immediately ran up to him excitedly, tail wagging furiously.

“Mkay. We’ll be here,” Hayden said as she walked out into the living room. “And I already took Hestia out, so she’s good.”

“Oh. Thanks, Hayds,” Ryan hummed as he walked over to kiss her cheek. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” Hayden said smugly before she collapsed onto the couch. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes at her as he walked towards his room, Hestia at his heels.

“Hey! When was the last time Hestia was bathed?” Ryan asked loudly as he stripped out of his clothes in his room and looked down at Hestia. She simply stared back up at him from where she was sitting, tongue lolled out of her mouth happily as she wagged her tail.

“Uh, I think it was in July! She’s getting a little stinky!” Hayden replied.

“Yeah! That’s what I thought!” Ryan said. Then, he looked down at Hestia and smiled. “Shower, Hesty! Go!”

Hestia released an excited bark and then took off into the bathroom. Ryan chuckled and shook his head at her as he pushed his underwear off of his hips. Hestia looked at Ryan eagerly from where she was standing in the shower, tail wagging in excitement. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he squeezed into the shower with her.

“You’re getting washed first, miss,” Ryan told her as he turned on the shower. Hestia simply wagged her tail and then wiggled happily under the spray of water. Ryan chuckled and pulled the showerhead down to get her fur sufficiently wet before he lathered her up with shampoo. He quickly rinsed Hestia down once more before he grabbed the conditioner. Hestia wiggled around happily beneath Ryan’s hands and licked at his cheeks. Ryan snorted and gently moved her muzzle away from his face.

“Careful. I don’t want to get soap in your eyes,” Ryan told her as he rinsed conditioner off of his hands before he grabbed the showerhead again to wash the conditioner from her fur.

“Ry! Your beau is here!” Hayden called out as Ryan finished washing conditioner off of Hestia.

“Oh good! Gray c’mere and dry Hestia off for me so I can actually shower, please!” Ryan exclaimed. Ryan heard Hayden snort out a laugh while Grayson’s roommates made confused noises. Grayson chuckled and Ryan heard him kick his shoes off before he appeared in the bathroom doorway. Hestia released a happy bark and ran at Grayson, not caring that she was completely soaked.

“Hestia, down!” Ryan told her. Hestia immediately stopped jumping at Grayson and looked over at Ryan with her head tilted to the side. “Good girl. Now sit and let Grayson dry you off.”

“Oh, what a good girl,” Grayson cooed as Hestia obeyed. Hestia wagged her tail once and panted happily while Grayson grabbed a towel to dry her off. “Did you seriously just bathe her while in the shower with her?”

“Yes,” Ryan replied with a smile as he washed his body. “It’s honestly the easiest way to get it done. If you try and bathe her in a tub you end up just as wet as if you were in there with her anyway.”

“Aw, she’s just so _excitable_ ,” Grayson crooned at Hestia. Hestia made a happy noise and licked at Grayson’s face. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes while Grayson chuckled and kissed Hestia’s muzzle as he continued to dry her off.

“You can let her have the towel when you’re done. She likes to carry it around and then curl up on it,” Ryan informed Grayson as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed his own towel. Grayson looked up at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow. “What? She is very proud of when she gets a bath. It’s like she knows she doesn’t smell like ass anymore and wants to let everyone know.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson commented as he stood up and walked over to kiss Ryan. Ryan hummed happily into the kiss and placed a hand on Grayson’s cheek.

“I know,” Ryan added once they broke apart. “Now give Hestia the towel before she starts to whine.”

“Oh my god,” Grayson breathed as he turned to see Hestia staring at him sadly with wide, expressive eyes.

“I told you,” Ryan chuckled as he grabbed the towel from Grayson’s hand and held it out to Hestia. She immediately began to wag her tail happily and grabbed the towel carefully before she pranced into Ryan’s bedroom. Ryan smiled and followed after her to pull his sweat clothes back on. “You can borrow something if you want since Hesty got you full of water.”

“Mmh, thanks,” Grayson hummed as he kissed Ryan’s cheek before walking over to the dresser to grab dry clothes. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes as he left his room, Hestia trotting ahead of him proudly.

“Aw, Hesty! So fresh and clean!” Hayden immediately squealed as she opened her arms to Hestia. Hestia bound over in excitement and wormed halfway into Hayden’s lap, refusing to let go of the towel.

“Hey guys,” Ryan said as he smiled and waved at Shannon, Kaleb, and Ellie all lined up on the couch. They all smiled and waved back.

“Where’d Grayson disappear off to?” Kaleb asked.

“He’s changing. Hestia got his clothes soaked before I called her off,” Ryan replied as he walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

“She is absolutely adorable,” Shannon giggled as she held her hand out to Hestia, who nudged her hand once and then practically crawled into her lap. “What kind of dog is she?”    

“Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever,” Ryan replied as he watched Hestia sniff happily at Kaleb’s outstretched hand.

“How old is she?” Kaleb followed up as he scratched at her ears.

“Just a bit under two. I got her second semester freshman year,” Ryan hummed.

“But didn’t you live in a dorm then?” Ellie asked even as she smiled and pet Hestia’s head.

“No. I bought this apartment during winter break that year. Devin, Hayden, and I have been living here ever since,” Ryan said as he walked over to collapse onto the loveseat.

“Yep!” Hayden chirped in agreement. “He’s gracious enough to let Dev and I live here rent free.”

“Because he’s a better person than you,” Grayson laughed as he walked into the room and sat down with Ryan.

“You’re biased,” Hayden retorted. Grayson smiled and shrugged as he leaned into Ryan’s side. Ryan smiled as well and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s shoulders.

“Wait, _bought_?” Ellie asked with wide eyes. Ryan looked over at her and nodded.

“Yeah. Fame does have its perks. I built up a pretty good amount of money before I turned eighteen and was able to access it,” Ryan replied.

“Wait, _what_?” Ellie asked in confusion.

“Oh my god, _Ellie_. Are we seriously just finding out you don’t know who the Castellans are?” Kaleb asked gleefully as he beamed at Ellie.

“Who?” Ellie asked. “Guys! I grew up in a different country, remember?”

“You grew up in Canada. Y’all have American television there,” Shannon deadpanned.

“Not that my family watched!” Ellie defended. “Someone fill me in!”

“Oh my god,” Ryan breathed. “Okay, both my dads started acting when they were fourteen. They were in a TV show, Brandywine High, all throughout high school. They were in a spin-off of that in college. Once they got married and had my sister and me, they didn’t really do anymore acting. Daddy picked it up again when we were older and I followed in his footsteps when I was sixteen.”

“Okay, let me expand here. Nearly everyone Ryan knows and is related to, biologically or not, is famous in some way,” Hayden told Ellie. “There’s TV and movie actors, Broadway actors, behind the scenes Broadway people, youtubers, and Olympic gymnasts.”

“Oo! Olympic gymnasts?” Ellie asked in excitement.

“Yeah. Matt Sanders is my uncle Darren’s biological brother,” Ryan said with a shrug.

“ _What_?” Shannon, Kaleb, and Ellie squawked in unison, causing Ryan, Hayden, and Grayson to snort with laughter.

“I’m not sure what just happened there, but the synchrony was epic,” Devin laughed as he walked into the apartment.

“We were just informed that Ryan is related to Matt Sanders!” Shannon exclaimed.

“Oh, yeah. Matt’s a total child on the inside, though,” Devin commented. “He was totally professional when competing, but when he wasn’t, oh my god. Talk about a person basically being a puppy. And speaking of puppy, it looks like our resident pup got a bath! How exciting!”

Hestia shot up to run at Devin happily then, towel still held proudly in her mouth. Devin smiled and leaned down to meet her and kiss her muzzle and head. Ryan and Hayden both smiled while Grayson shook his head.

“You’re all weird,” Grayson breathed.

“We know,” Ryan cooed before he blew a kiss against Grayson’s cheek.

“Can we circle back to this Matt Sanders thing for a sec?” Kaleb asked. “Because, like, _what_?”

“It’s not that big of a deal, guys. Matt is literally just another obnoxious person who makes really bad dad jokes to annoy his kids,” Ryan said with a shrug. Devin hummed in agreement as he finally stood up and walked over to squish onto the recliner with Hayden. Hayden made a stubborn noise but moved to accommodate Devin anyway.

“I’m just so shocked right now,” Ellie breathed. “I mean, obviously I don’t know who any of the others are, but _Matt Sanders_.”

“You know, I literally don’t think I’ve ever met someone before who didn’t know my family. This is weird,” Ryan commented.

“Wait, you didn’t know who Ryan was?” Devin squawked as he looked over at Ellie with wide eyes.

“No! God! I grew up in Canada! My family didn’t watch American television! The only reason I knew about Ryan is because of Grayson’s fascination with him!” Ellie exclaimed defensively.

“ _Aw_ ,” Ryan cooed as Grayson blushed furiously. “How adorable.”

“Shut up,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan just giggled and hugged Grayson’s shoulders tightly as he kissed Grayson’s cheeks.

“Okay, next topic. What goes on tonight?” Hayden asked.

“Pick a movie,” Ryan told her as he and Grayson shifted slightly to make room for Hestia.

“Mkay. Anyone have a preference?” Hayden asked as she got up.

“Nope,” everyone replied. Hayden nodded once and dropped down in front of the movie shelf.

“[Drop Dead Gorgeous](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157503/)24,” Hayden chirped with a wide smile as she held up the movie.

“What a classic,” Devin and Ryan laughed. Hayden just nodded and crawled over to put the DVD in.

“What’s it about?” Kaleb asked as Shannon made grabby hands for the case.

“Beauty pageants. It’s fucking hilarious, though,” Ryan replied. Kaleb, Shannon, and Ellie all hummed then as they clustered together to read the case. Hayden just giggled and crawled back onto the recliner with Devin after she grabbed the remote.

“We gotta keep it down, though. Lowell’s doing some work in my room,” Hayden added. Everyone simply hummed in understanding as they settled into their seats. Grayson simply leaned further into Ryan’s chest, legs propped open slightly to make room for Hestia who had curled up there on top of the towel. Ryan just smiled and rested his chin on Grayson’s shoulder as the movie started.

Hayden and Devin both eyed Grayson and Ryan then before they turned to each other and smiled. Devin rolled his eyes as well and Hayden gave a small nod in agreement, both of them happy that Ryan and Grayson had easily fallen into their relationship.

000000

“Sorry you can’t come home, bud,” Jeff sighed through the computer. “But, honestly. We don’t need another family member vomiting everywhere.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s fine. I’ll work out something to do for Thanksgiving,” Ryan replied as he shifted on the couch since Hestia was half in his lap.

“I’m sad I won’t see you until Christmas break,” Artemis pouted as she shoved her way in front of the webcam. Jeff made a stubborn noise and shoved at her to no avail.

“You’ll survive, Martie,” Ryan chuckled as he pet Hestia’s chest.

“But will I?” Artemis asked dramatically.

“God, you’re nearing fifty, grow up, Artemis,” Addie snorted in the background. Artemis looked off camera and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Addison,” Artemis replied.

“Honestly, the two of you,” Jeff sighed as he rolled his eyes. Ryan smiled fondly at them through the webcam as he shook his head slightly.

“You’re the one who has them over while Daddy can’t be a buffer,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jeff sighed as Samoa climbed into his lap, flipping her tail into Jeff’s face. Jeff spluttered and swat at Samoa’s tail. “Samoa, _why_.”

“Because she’s a cat,” Artemis snorted as she pat Jeff’s cheek before settling into his side. Jeff rolled his eyes and shifted Samoa in his lap.

“You both suck, you know. I’m here _slaving_ over soup for the ill people upstairs and you’re just skyping with Ryan,” Addie complained.

“That’s because you’re a better person, Adds,” Ryan told her.

“Don’t I know it,” Addie huffed out. Ryan chuckled and then looked behind him as he heard Grayson padding down the hallway. Ryan smiled as he took in Grayson’s ruffled appearance, a pair of Ryan’s Midnight Swallows sweatpants hung low on his hips.

“Morning,” Ryan chirped. Grayson smiled as he rubbed a hand through his hair and walked over to kiss Ryan’s temple.

“Morning,” Grayson hummed as he draped his arms over Ryan’s shoulders.

“ _Damn_ , those _abs_ ,” Artemis cackled.

“Wait, what?” Addie squawked before Ryan heard her stumbling over quickly. She appeared between Jeff and Artemis then, an excited smile on her face. Ryan rolled his eyes and pat at Grayson’s arms that were over his shoulders.

“Stop trying to ogle Grayson. He’s _mine_ to ogle,” Ryan said.

“What?” Grayson yawned in confusion as he nuzzled into Ryan’s neck. Ryan smiled and tipped his head against Grayson’s.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan cooed. Grayson hummed sleepily, nose tucked behind Ryan’s ear.

“ _Aw_ , how _domestic_ ,” Addie giggled. “It’s like Riker and Jeff when they were your age.”

“No, no! My baby boy is not basically married! Don’t do this to me, Addison!” Jeff squawked. Grayson’s head shot up then and he stared at Ryan with a shocked expression. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he kissed Grayson’s jaw.

“Don’t bother with my crazy family, Gray. They like to go from zero to one hundred really quick,” Ryan assured. Grayson simply hummed again before tucking his face back into Ryan’s neck.

“I have to leave to meet my siblings soon. When are you leaving to go home?” Grayson asked.

“I’m not,” Ryan replied.

“What? Why not?” Grayson asked as he shifted his head slightly and scraped his stubble across Ryan’s shoulder.

“Apparently Daddy and the beans have the plague,” Ryan replied as he tipped his head against Grayson’s once more.

“That sucks,” Grayson commented.

“Mhm,” Ryan agreed. “At least I’m not there attending to the ill people.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Addie huffed out.

“I’m just happy it’s not me for once,” Jeff snorted.

“True,” Artemis laughed as she clapped Jeff on the shoulder. “You’re usually the sick one. You’re a worse sick person than Riker, though.”

“God, that’s true,” Ryan laughed. Jeff made a face and Addie laughed as she ruffled Jeff’s hair.

“So, baby boy, what are you gonna do with an empty apartment?” Artemis asked as she carefully fixed Jeff’s hair while he pouted.

“Walk around naked,” Ryan immediately replied. Grayson snorted and scraped his chin across Ryan’s skin again.

“You do that with people here, Ry,” Grayson added. Ryan smiled and scrunched up his nose before he turned to kiss Grayson’s cheek. “I do have to go meet my siblings soon, though. _But_ , you can always come to my apartment for Thanksgiving if you want. My demon roommates are gone as well.”

“I don’t want to impede on time with your siblings,” Ryan said as he shifted to look Grayson in the eye. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek.

“Preston and Colby have been bugging to meet you. You wouldn’t be impeding,” Grayson told Ryan, who smiled fondly and placed a hand on Grayson’s cheek.

“Mkay. Let me know what goes on,” Ryan said. Grayson hummed in response and then kissed Ryan’s temple before he straightened up to walk back towards Ryan’s room. Ryan smiled after Grayson and then looked back at his computer to see Artemis, Jeff, and Addie all staring at him with smirks. “What?”

“You guys are cute,” Addie replied with a giggle.

“Like, ridiculously so,” Artemis added. “When do we get to meet him?”

“Don’t know yet,” Ryan hummed in response. Jeff narrowed his eyes at Ryan then.

“What are you not telling us?” Jeff asked in an accusing tone. Ryan smiled innocently and batted his eyes. “Ryan Arthur Castellan…”

“I’ll tell you in a few, okay?” Ryan asked in response as he looked back to see Grayson walking back into the room while tugging a sweatshirt on over his head.

“Hey, all the clothes I have here are dirty so I grabbed one of your hoodies,” Grayson breathed out as he walked over to ruffle Ryan’s hair.

“I figured since you walked out wearing my sweatpants earlier,” Ryan snorted. Grayson smiled innocently and leaned down to kiss the top of Ryan’s head. “If I’m coming over later, want me to wash your stuff and bring it over?”

“No rush,” Grayson replied. “Just leave them in with your wash.”

“Mkay,” Ryan hummed as he smiled and leaned his forehead against Grayson’s shoulder.

“Ryan, you _stole_ that hoodie!” Jeff squeaked suddenly. Ryan looked at the computer in shock while Artemis and Addie snorted with laughter.

“What?” Ryan asked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“You know perfectly well what I’m talking about, you little shit!” Jeff exclaimed. “I’ve been looking for that hoodie for _months_! It’s my favorite to steal from Riker.”

“It’s my favorite too, why do you think I stole it?” Ryan asked with a giggle.

“I’m so confused,” Grayson breathed. Ryan smiled and turned to nuzzle into Grayson’s cheek.

“The hoodie you’re wearing is my dad’s. I like to steal it,” Ryan said quietly.

“Oh,” Grayson replied with wide eyes. Ryan laughed and ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“Stop looking like you killed my soul. It’s a hoodie. It’s not like I haven’t stolen some of your hoodies,” Ryan chirped. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he pressed a kiss to Ryan’s temple.

“I have to go. I’ll let you know when it’s safe for you to come over,” Grayson told Ryan.

“Mkay. Drive safe,” Ryan hummed.

“Mhm. I love you,” Grayson whispered into Ryan’s ear. Ryan smiled and turned to look at Grayson fondly before he leaned in to kiss Grayson lightly.

“Love you too,” Ryan whispered against Grayson’s lips. Grayson hummed happily and gave Ryan one more peck on the lips before he left, waving over his shoulder before he closed the door.

“God, you guys are _so cute_!” Addie squealed.

“Yeah, yeah. Now, out with it, you hoodie stealing heathen,” Jeff said as he waved his hand around. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he scratched Hestia’s chest.

“I’m gonna see if he wants to come spend some time at our house over winter break,” Ryan told Jeff.

“ _God yes_ ,” Artemis cackled while Addie and Jeff both beamed.

“So, you’re _there_?” Jeff asked. “You’re willing to bring him home to meet this insanity we call a family?”

“Yeah, I am,” Ryan replied with a small smile.

“Aw, _baby boy_!” Jeff exclaimed. Ryan sank down stubbornly and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t make this a bigger deal than it is, Papa,” Ryan said in a small voice.

“You’re talking to the wrong parent, hon,” Artemis hummed. “ _But_ , isn’t he going to be with his family?”

“His parents are out of the country right now for some job thing. It’s why his siblings are coming here for Thanksgiving,” Ryan replied.

“Mmh. But seriously, Ry. Bringing him here, that’s a big deal, you know?” Addie said. “This is different than some high school asshole. This guy seems really nice and special and totally looks at you like you’re the best thing he’s ever seen.”

“I know that,” Ryan replied stubbornly. “It’s not like I just randomly decided to ask him. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, okay? You all are insane and I don’t want to scare him off.”

“Oh, baby boy. We’re not going to scare him off. He stopped a photo shoot for you and then drove you here. According to Lasey, he embraces, like, every little thing about you, and that means something,” Jeff said quietly with a soft expression.

“I know,” Ryan breathed as he smiled slightly. “You think I take that lightly? He’s a good guy. He still wants to beat up Eric anytime Eric is brought up. He really cares about me. I don’t want to lose that.”

“And you’re not going to, baby,” Artemis cooed. “You’re a good guy and you deserve to be happy. He makes you happy, which means we will _all_ promise to tone it down a bit when he’s here. I’ll even blackmail Caron into behaving.”

“Aw, really?” Ryan asked as he pouted slightly.

“Of course, baby boy,” Artemis replied with a wide smile. Ryan giggled slightly and bounced once, causing Hestia to make a stubborn noise.

“We’ll make sure everyone is on their best behavior,” Jeff added.

“Though, our best behavior is still weird. You realize Alyssa’s going to be here, right?” Addie asked. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I do,” Ryan replied.

“Mkay. Just wanted to make sure,” Addie hummed before she left the frame, most likely to go back into the kitchen.

“Okay, I want to backtrack a bit though. Let’s talk about how Grayson has _clothes_ at your place and you combine laundry,” Jeff said with a wide, predatory smile. Ryan groaned and slouched down in the couch, arms flopped out to his sides.

“You would latch onto that, wouldn’t you?” Ryan asked.

“Yes,” Jeff replied primly as he shimmied his shoulders slightly. Ryan made a small noise and straightened back up.

“Grayson kind-of lives here Thursday through Sunday most weeks,” Ryan replied. “It’s kinda been that way since before school started back up again, to be honest.”

“Aw, so you were dating before you were dating,” Artemis giggled.

“I guess…” Ryan said.

“They totally were,” Jeff said. “Lasey said when she was there a few weekends all they did was cuddle on the couch and in Ry’s bed.”

“ _Aw_ ,” Addie and Artemis cooed. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped them off.

“You’re all terrible people and I hope karma comes for you,” Ryan told them.

“Rude,” Artemis retorted quickly. Ryan gave her a sweet smile as he tilted his head to the side.

“Oh god! Mayday! _Mayday! Code red_!” Addie suddenly exclaimed. Jeff and Artemis both heaved sighs.

“That’s our queue. We’ll talk to you later, baby boy,” Jeff said.

“Mkay. Take care of the sickies and clean up the vomit, wherever it is,” Ryan replied. Jeff saluted Ryan then before he ended the Skype call. Ryan smiled down at Hestia then and pat her chest. “What do you say, Hesty? Pack up some clothes and food for you to stay at Grayson’s for a few days?”

Hestia immediately rolled out of Ryan’s lap and jumped off the couch to stare at him happily. Ryan chuckled and ruffled her ears quickly before he got up. Hestia followed him through the apartment, tail wagging lazily but happily. Ryan smiled and pat her head as he walked into his room to grab a bag to throw some clothes into. He went to the kitchen next in order to fill up a container with some of Hestia’s food. Hestia sat patiently as he did so, head tilted to the side slightly.

“You’re pathetic,” Ryan told her even as he walked over to place a small scoop of food in her bowl. Hestia simply licked his hand in thanks before she began to eat. Ryan’s phone went off then and he grabbed it to see Grayson had texted saying he was back at his apartment. Ryan looked at Hestia then with a wide smile and she wagged her tail. “What do you say, Hesty baby? Wanna go see Grayson?”

Hestia immediately barked once and then bound over to the front door and nudged at her leash and harness. Ryan snorted as he grabbed his bag and Hestia’s food before he followed her. He grabbed her harness and leash to throw into his bag before he grabbed his keys.

“You have to be on your best behavior, okay? No smothering the new people with your love. His brothers haven’t met you yet,” Ryan told her as he locked the door to his apartment behind himself. Hestia simply nudged Ryan’s leg with her nose in understanding before they went downstairs.

“Headed off for Thanksgiving?” Barney asked as Ryan walked into the foyer.

“Yep. Have a good holiday, Barney!” Ryan replied with a smile and a wave as he walked out the door. Hestia immediately bound across the parking lot to Ryan’s car and then stood by the door wagging her tail to wait for Ryan. Ryan laughed and unlocked the car before he opened the door for her. She immediately jumped in and climbed into the passenger seat to sit down smugly. Ryan huffed out a small chuckle as he got in and pat her chest before he sent a text off to Grayson and then started the car.

Once Ryan got to Grayson’s building and parked, he grabbed his bag and Hestia’s food out of the back before letting her out. He slapped at his thigh once and Hestia kept pace with him easily, tail held high as she sniffed at the air around her. Ryan scratched the top of her head lightly before he let her into the building and then went over to the stairs. Hestia followed easily and then nosed happily at Grayson’s apartment door when they reached it.

“I’m going to murder you, Colby!” Grayson’s voice exclaimed from inside, quickly followed by a cackle and two other snorts of laughter.

“Aw, you don’t really mean that, baby brother,” a voice chuckled.

“I am perfectly serious, dick bag,” Grayson replied. Ryan chuckled to himself and looked down at Hestia, who was looking back up at him with her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. Ryan knocked on the door then and everything immediately fell silent. “Wait, no!”

“Shut up!” Charlie’s voice giggled before she opened the door and smiled widely at Ryan. “Hello again, Ryan!”

“Hey, Charlie,” Ryan replied as he walked into the apartment, Hestia shooting past him in order to jump at Grayson. Grayson grunted as Hestia barreled into his legs, but then smiled as he leaned down to pet her.

“ _Oo_ , you really are a pretty boy!” a guy said as he popped up behind Charlie with a wide smile on his face.

“Well, prettier _in person_ ,” the other guy chirped as he popped up next to the first guy.

“Uh, thanks…?” Ryan asked as he looked over at Grayson, who had his face in his hands.

“Guys, stand down,” Grayson sighed as he lifted his face from his hands and then walked over to them. He kissed Ryan’s cheek in greeting and Ryan hummed happily as he returned the favor. “Well, these are my brothers Preston and Colby. Guys, this is Ryan.”

“Hi!” Preston and Colby squeaked in unison as they smiled widely at Ryan, who smiled and waved back at them.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of our baby brother’s famous boyfriend joining us for Thanksgiving?” Colby asked then with an innocent smile.

“My dad and younger siblings are currently vomiting all over the house,” Ryan replied with a shrug. “Even my older sister opted to go to her boyfriend’s place.”

“Oo, that’s rough,” Charlie hissed out as she leaned down to pet Hestia as Hestia wormed her way into the group looking for attention. Ryan simply hummed and nodded in agreement. Then, he looked down at Hestia who was staring back up at him with pleading eyes.

“Okay, before this dog explodes, this is Hestia. She would like to greet you with lots of kisses and cuddling, but I told her she was not to do that right off the bat,” Ryan said as he looked over at Preston and Colby.

“Oh, god yeah. I love cuddly dogs!” Preston exclaimed before he dropped to the floor in front of Hestia. Hestia panted happily and immediately wormed her way into Preston’s lap to lick at his face. “Aw, just a puppy. I will give you all the love you want, puppy.”

“Don’t let her manipulate you too much. She knows her power,” Ryan said as he walked over to dump his bag near Grayson’s bedroom door and then bring Hestia’s food container into the kitchen.

“It’s your fault,” Grayson said.

“I know,” Ryan hummed as he walked up behind Grayson and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s waist. “But she’s just too cute to not give her everything she wants. But I’m also her dad, I do what I want.”

“Sounds like faulty logic,” Colby chuckled as he leaned down to pet Hestia as well. “How old is she, by the way?”

“Just under two,” Ryan replied.

“Oh! Really a puppy! What a happy pupper! All the love for the pupper,” Preston crooned as he hugged Hestia to his chest.

“You may never get her back now, Ryan,” Charlie giggled as she walked over to collapse onto the couch.

“Nah, it’ll be fine. Hestia still likes me best,” Ryan replied as he and Grayson collapsed onto one of the other couches. “If I called her right now she would be in my lap in a second.”

“True. I’ve watched her bolt across his apartment to do so,” Grayson laughed as he pulled Ryan into his side. Ryan hummed in agreement as he settled into Grayson’s side.

“How do you even have a dog while in college?” Colby asked. “I could barely handle _myself_ in college.”

“Granted, you still can’t really handle yourself,” Preston snorted. Colby nodded and shrugged in response.

“True,” Colby agreed before he looked over at Ryan again. “But seriously, how?”

“I’m a theater and dance major. I’ve been doing both of those things since before I could walk in a straight line without falling,” Ryan replied.

“That’s still something you can only barely do, Ry,” Grayson chuckled into Ryan’s temple. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he shoved at Grayson’s chest lightly.

“ _Anyway_ , my classes honestly don’t require much from me. That and a lot of my teachers adore Hestia. Most of them have known her since I got her,” Ryan said with a shrug.

“I wanna know how your parents let you get away with getting a puppy while you’re in school,” Charlie snorted as she sprawled out on Grayson’s couch and propped her feet on the coffee table.

“Uh, they didn’t,” Ryan replied with a slightly guilty expression. “I kinda adopted her on an impulse without Daddy and Papa knowing. I may have showed up at home for spring break freshman year to two very confused parents and two very excited babies.”

“Oo, I like him, Duckie. You should keep him,” Preston chirped. Grayson made a stubborn noise and then flipped Preston off. “Aw, are you embarrassed by your pet name?”

“Seriously. You brought that pet name onto yourself, baby brother,” Colby laughed.

“Mhm,” Charlie hummed as she grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch to wrap herself up in.

“It’s cute,” Ryan commented with a smile as he looked back at Grayson, who rolled his eyes.

“Don’t say things to appease me,” Grayson replied.

“If I was going to do that, I’d say something completely different,” Ryan deadpanned. Grayson immediately began to splutter while Charlie smirked and Preston and Colby began to cackle loudly. Ryan smiled innocently back at Grayson then and Grayson made a stubborn noise before he shoved Ryan lightly. Ryan giggled then before he kissed Grayson’s cheek.

“Honestly, I like this one,” Preston said with a smile. “Much better than the last one. At least he is willing to joke around.”

“Always,” Ryan replied with a sweet smile as he leaned back against Grayson’s chest. “You don’t grow up in a family like mine and _not_ be willing to joke around.”

“I can confirm that and I’ve only met his parents, siblings, niece, and nephew,” Grayson said with a small nod.

“Yeah. He was not nearly awake enough earlier to meet Martie on Skype,” Ryan chuckled. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he buried his face in Ryan’s neck.

“I’m not sure I want to meet your mom yet since she apparently has a demon child,” Grayson added. Ryan snorted with laughter and nudged his forehead into Grayson’s cheek.

“Wait, y’all know your mom?” Colby asked. Ryan looked over at Colby and nodded.

“Yeah. She lived next door to my dads after they got married and they all came to the agreement that she would be their surrogate,” Ryan told them.

“It’s easier not to ask about Ryan’s family dynamic. It is twisted and confusing,” Grayson informed his siblings. Ryan pursed his lips together as he thought, and then nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I can see how it would be confusing to outsiders,” Ryan chirped.

“Is it really that weird?” Preston asked.

“A bit, yeah,” Ryan replied. “I have an adopted uncle, but we also know his biological mother and brother. On top of that I’ve got Martie’s side of the family as well as all the honorary aunts and uncles. _Oh_ , there’s also Drew and his kids, one of which was the carrier for my baby siblings.”

“What he’s not saying is that his uncle’s biological brother is Matt Sanders,” Charlie commented in a bored voice. Preston and Colby both flailed then and gaped at Ryan.

“ _Does that mean you know Miranda Castiello_ 25?” Colby gasped out with wide eyes.

“That I do,” Ryan replied as he allowed Hestia to climb into his lap and curl up. “She’s a really awesome person, but really bitter about people who can dance better than her.”

“She’s also hot as fuck,” Preston snorted. Colby made a sound of agreement while Charlie rolled her eyes at them. Grayson just shook his head and reached around Ryan to pet Hestia’s ears.

“You guys are gross,” Charlie added.

“That and Miranda is very much into _women_ ,” Ryan snorted.

“So is _that_ why Alessandra goes on and on about Miranda when she’s drunk?” Grayson asked. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he nodded.

“Which is honestly kind-of weird. Miranda is, like, sixteen years older than us,” Ryan added.

“Whatever,” Preston and Colby both breathed in unison.

“Yeah, whatever. Let’s get drunk. Mom and Dad aren’t here to stop us,” Charlie said as she dragged herself off of the couch and to the kitchen.

“God _yes_ ,” Colby breathed out.

“Just a warning, Ryan’s weird when he’s drunk,” Grayson told his siblings.

“That is a true statement,” Ryan agreed with a giggle as he accepted a bottle of alcohol from Charlie, who smiled mischievously.

“Then _let the fun begin_ ,” Preston breathed out happily as he raised his shot glass. Charlie and Colby both repeated the action before all three of them downed their shots. Grayson just laughed and took the bottle from Ryan to take a swig.

“To the fun,” Grayson added as he kissed Ryan’s cheek and then handed the bottle to Ryan, who huffed out a laugh as he took a swig as well.

000000

A few hours later found all five of them sprawled around the living room with the TV on in the background. Ryan and Grayson were sprawled on the floor next to the couch, hands tangled together between them. Hestia was curled into Ryan’s free side, nose tucked into Ryan’s armpit. Colby and Preston were both on their stomachs beneath the coffee table as they giggled about something on Colby’s phone. Charlie was lying on the couch and waving her hands slowly through the air while she hummed to herself.

Grayson looked over at Ryan then and Ryan looked back with a small smile on his face. Grayson smiled back and squeezed Ryan’s hand. Ryan giggled and turned slightly to nudge his nose into Grayson’s cheek briefly. Grayson hummed happily and turned to pres a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“[Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/110539314224/softstevie-texts-from-stiles-to-derek-and-vice)?” Grayson asked Ryan, who huffed out a breath.

“You. Always you. Sometimes naked, sometimes not. Depends,” Ryan answered with a shrug. All of Grayson’s siblings looked over then with wide smiles on their faces. Grayson simply made a small noise and rolled over to nuzzle into Ryan’s cheek.

“Yeah?” Grayson asked against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled widely and nodded.

“Yeah,” Ryan added. “You’re a very good thinking subject. Especially naked. You’re very pretty naked, you know.”

“Aw, _thanks_. You’re very pretty naked too,” Grayson giggled as he draped an arm across Ryan’s chest.

“Thanks, boo,” Ryan hummed happily. “You look prettiest when sitting on my dick, though.”

“ _Whoa_!” Colby exclaimed them, shooting up and hitting his head on the underside of the coffee table. Ryan and Grayson both looked over with widened eyes then, remembering that they weren’t alone.

“That took quite the turn,” Preston chirped brightly while Charlie simply stared with a dropped jaw.

“Since when are you sitting on dicks, Duckie?” Charlie squawked as she continued to stare at Grayson. Grayson simply stared back with wide eyes while Ryan giggled hysterically.

“Since about a week and a half ago,” Ryan replied.

“ _Ryan_ ,” Grayson complained.

“This is a new development and _I love it_ ,” Preston snorted. “Baby bro’s finally getting it. Your ex would be so pissed at you.”

“And that’s why he’s my ex,” Grayson grumbled stubbornly as he buried his face in Ryan’s neck. Ryan snorted and ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“Least you don’t have my ex!” Ryan chirped. Grayson lifted his head then to stare down at Ryan seriously. Ryan cooed and placed both hands on Grayson’s cheeks. “Don’t be a grump, Gray. We’ve talked about this.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t hate him,” Grayson huffed out angrily. Ryan hummed and kissed Grayson lightly.

“Love you,” Ryan hummed. Grayson hummed happily then and blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan giggled loudly and wrapped his arms tightly around Grayson, who chuckled and buried his face in Ryan’s neck to blow against it.

“Love you too,” Grayson added as he wrapped himself around Ryan. Ryan smiled widely and kissed Grayson’s cheeks.

“Y’all barely been dating a month, what the fuck?” Colby asked.

“You’re only saying that because you didn’t see them _before_ they were dating. They’ve been in love for a while,” Charlie said as she rolled off the couch and onto Colby’s legs.

“Shut up, Charlie,” Grayson hissed at her while Ryan smiled.

“Apparently I talked about _the thing_ before we were dating. That’s only told in confidence,” Ryan giggled.

“ _Oo_ , what’s _the thing_?” Preston asked as he wiggled across the floor to stop in front of Ryan with his chin propped in his hands. Ryan immediately began to giggle and Grayson’s eyes widened.

“I can bend in half!” Ryan squeaked before Grayson could clap a hand over his mouth. Preston, Colby, and Charlie all stopped then and stared at Ryan with wide eyes. Charlie made an interested noise then before she looked at Grayson.

“So, how’s that work for you, Duckie?” Charlie asked with a smirk. Grayson immediately blushed while Ryan smiled smugly.

“Man, Ryan is way too smug about this,” Colby snorted as he glanced at Ryan.

“Wouldn’t you be pretty smug if you could render your partner completely speechless by sucking their dick and fucking them at the same time?” Ryan asked. Grayson immediately flushed deeply while Charlie and Colby stared with shocked expressions.

“I mean, probably,” Preston said with a shrug. “However, _I_ am typically the one rendered speechless.”

“That’s also because you’re usually plastered and have a hard time being coherent in that state,” Grayson chided.

“Nah. It’s more that I’m typically in the middle,” Preston said with a shrug. “Like, I mean, I know what it’s like to be fucked and sucked at the same time, just not by the same person.”

“God, this is why we don’t get Preston drunk,” Colby breathed. Preston stuck his tongue out at Colby and Colby shoved at Preston’s face.

“I don’t give a shit about Pres and his polyamorous relationships, I wanna hear more about Duckie and his monogamous one,” Charlie giggled as she sat up and stared eagerly at Grayson and Ryan.

“No, no more,” Grayson complained. Ryan snuffed out a giggle and turned over to cuddle into Grayson’s side.

“You would not have survived in my house growing up with that attitude, mister,” Ryan said. “You don’t even want to know how much I know about my dads’ sex lives.”

“Why do you know about their sex life…?” Colby asked with a concerned expression. Ryan giggled and rolled onto his stomach to wrap his arms around Hestia and rest his chin lightly on her side.

“My aunts and uncles like to tell us about it to embarrass Daddy and Papa,” Ryan chirped in response. “It’s how I know that Daddy and I share some sexual talents.”

“That is honestly disturbing,” Preston commented. “I mean, funny, but mostly disturbing.”

“That’s life with the Castellans,” Ryan hummed with a shrug. “Everyone in the family is very open about sexual topics.”

“Yeah. He and his sister totally know about each other’s sex lives,” Grayson said. “It’s kinda weird since his sister is dating his best friend.”

“Y’all, how is that not weird for you?” Colby asked as he looked over at Ryan, who simply shrugged.

“It’s just not,” Ryan added. “I knew they were going to date long before they did.”

“Just like the rest of us with you and Grayson. We all talked about it after you passed out that one weekend,” Charlie giggled. Ryan and Grayson both gave her deadpan expressions and she smiled innocently. “Love yooou!”

“Do you, though?” Grayson asked. Charlie giggled hysterically and leaned over to punch Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson rolled his eyes as he sat up, ruffling Ryan’s hair as he went. Ryan giggled and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s waist.

“You two are gross,” Preston commented as he watched them. Ryan turned and smiled brightly while Grayson smiled fondly down at Ryan.

“It’s my life goal to be absolutely disgusting with my partner. Daddy and Papa instilled that goal in me at a young age when Lasey started being obnoxious,” Ryan chirped. “So, you telling me that means I’m doing my job!”

“God, you definitely sound like a youngest child,” Colby breathed.

“I was for nearly seventeen years!” Ryan replied with a wide smile.

“That explains a lot,” Preston snorted as he rolled over onto his back and spread his limbs out. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and nuzzled into Grayson’s hip. Grayson chuckled slightly and thread his fingers through Ryan’s hair. Ryan made a happy noise and curled up against Grayson’s leg.

“Yo, I don’t wanna see you two getting at it,” Charlie complained. Ryan peeked up at her then and rolled his eyes.

“We’re drunk,” Ryan replied instantly.

“Your point? That’s when most people have sex,” Preston commented.

“No. I don’t like it,” Ryan huffed out stubbornly. “It’s not the same and I don’t like it.”

“Mmh, that’s a first,” Colby hummed.

“Drunk sex isn’t always good sex,” Ryan said grumpily. Grayson’s hand immediately stilled in Ryan’s hair and tightened slightly. Ryan took in a deep breath and looked up at Grayson. “We’ll talk about it another time when we’re both not drunk.”

“Yeah?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied with a smile before he grabbed onto Grayson’s hand and kissed it. Grayson hummed happily and leaned down to smack a kiss to Ryan’s head. Ryan giggled and wormed around to place himself in Grayson’s lap to kiss him. Grayson smiled and wrapped his arms around Ryan to hug him. Ryan giggled again and nuzzled into Grayson’s neck as he hugged Grayson back.

“Honestly. I’m not nearly drunk enough to puke, but I’m pretty sure I could right now because of the two of you,” Colby gagged. Grayson simply flipped Colby off as he hugged Ryan tightly to himself.

“Oh, let our little brother be happy,” Charlie scoffed with a wave of her hand.

“Yeah. Who cares about that when we can watch bad movies and judge them loudly because we’re drunk?” Preston asked.

“Oo, _yes_!” Colby bugled in excitement as he stumbled over to the DVD shelf. The rest of them laughed and then shifted around in order to climb onto the couches and settle in to watch movies.

000000

“Your siblings are fun,” Ryan whispered the next morning with his face tucked into the crook of Grayson’s neck. Grayson made a small noise and buried his fingers in Ryan’s hair. Ryan hummed happily and kissed Grayson’s neck lightly. “Honestly, though. It must’ve been nice to grow up with them and having a good support system.”

“Yes and no,” Grayson said. “It was just that much more obnoxiousness and teasing.”

“Yeah, but that’s what siblings are for,” Ryan replied as he shifted to sit on top of Grayson’s hips. Grayson shrugged and smiled slightly as he reached out grab onto Ryan’s hips.

“You make a good point,” Grayson added. Ryan just nodded in response and pat Grayson’s chest lightly. Grayson smiled and rubbed his thumbs across Ryan’s hips before he gave Ryan a slightly more serious expression. “Can we talk about your comment last night?”

Ryan shifted slightly then and heaved out a sigh. Grayson shifted one hand to rub comfortingly at Ryan’s thigh and Ryan smiled gratefully down at Grayson.

“It’s not the thing you’re thinking of,” Ryan breathed out as he pulled lightly at Grayson’s chest hair. “He only hit me the one time. But emotional abuse was practically a constant in the last year of our relationship. It was the worst when he was drunk. He would get extremely critical of anything and everything I did. He made me believe that all I was good for was sex and didn’t deserve love. It’s taken a while to get over it, y’know?”

Grayson reached up to place a hand on Ryan’s cheek then and inspected Ryan’s face carefully. Ryan lowered his eyes and continued to pull lightly at Grayson’s chest hair. Grayson made a small, stubborn noise and lifted Ryan’s chin lightly to force eye contact.

“I want you to know that none of anything he said to you was true. He was a giant piece of shit. He is the one who doesn’t deserve love. I love you so much, okay?” Grayson asked quietly as he looked at Ryan seriously. Ryan nodded simply and leaned down to kiss Grayson slowly. Grayson hummed against Ryan’s lips and rubbed Ryan’s cheek with his thumb.

“I love you too,” Ryan whispered once they pulled apart. Grayson hummed again and placed another small kiss against Ryan’s lips. Ryan huffed out a happy sigh and sat back up to look down at Grayson. “So, what are your plans for winter break aside from the premiere?”

“Uh, I don’t really know. Why?” Grayson asked as he moved both of his hands on Ryan’s thighs. Ryan made a small noise and shifted slightly.

“ _Well_ , I was wondering if you would like to come spend some time with me at home,” Ryan said softly. Grayson stared up at Ryan in wonder then, mouth dropped open slightly. Ryan shifted nervously, hands clenching on top of Grayson’s chest.

“You’re serious?” Grayson asked. Ryan swallowed and nodded once. Grayson smiled widely and snorted as he reached up to wrap his arms around Ryan’s shoulders to drag Ryan down. Ryan squawked but then easily settled against Grayson’s chest. “You know you’re adorable, right?”

“Don’t patronize me, asshole!” Ryan complained. Grayson chuckled and blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek.

“I’m not. I just didn’t think you’d want me to go home with you,” Grayson said as he looked up at Ryan with a small smile. Ryan looked down at Grayson seriously.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ryan asked. “I mean, I know we haven’t been dating long but you mean a lot to me, Gray. I know it can be overwhelming to meet my family, but I’d really like you to meet them and…”

“Ry! _Ryan_!” Grayson said as he pressed a hand over Ryan’s mouth. “Stop rambling. Of course I’ll go with you and meet your family.”

“Really?” Ryan asked with a small, excited smile. Grayson snorted and nodded before he kissed Ryan lightly.

“Of course. I love you,” Grayson hummed in reply. Ryan scrunched up his nose happily and nuzzled into Grayson’s neck.

“You’re the best,” Ryan whispered. Grayson chuckled and hugged Ryan tightly as he bit at Ryan’s neck. Ryan giggled hysterically and wiggled in Grayson’s grip as he tried to break it.

“Don’t fight it! Accept it!” Grayson bugled as he grabbed a Ryan’s sides to tickle him. Ryan squealed out a giggle and squirmed even more in Grayson’s grip. Grayson cackled manically and then rolled them over to pin Ryan down and continue to tickle him.

“Grayson! No!” Ryan squeaked out.

“Never! I shall never surrender! You must!” Grayson laughed. Ryan just squealed and squirmed around beneath Grayson as he tried to throw Grayson off of himself. Grayson snorted and reached out with one hand to try and pin Ryan’s hands down.

“No!” Ryan exclaimed then before he instinctively snapped his hips up. Grayson froze and looked down at Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan giggled then and repeated the action. “Oo, you’re in for it now, Hartwell. All restrictions on tickle wars are _gone_ now that we’re dating.”

“Wait, what? Ryan, _oh_ ,” Grayson huffed out before he nearly collapsed on top of Ryan as Ryan snapped his hips up once more. Ryan giggled smugly and flipped them back over once more.

“Ready to surrender?” Ryan asked with a smirk as he sat back against Grayson, who was panting beneath Ryan. Grayson shot Ryan a look that didn’t contain much heat.

“ _Or_ we could surrender to orgasms,” Grayson breathed out with a small smile.

“Mmh, I like the way you think,” Ryan chuckled as he leaned down to kiss Grayson. Grayson chuckled against Ryan’s lips and moved his hands to Ryan’s hips.

“Hey! Breakfast, ya horn dogs!” Colby suddenly called out as he pounded on Grayson’s bedroom door. “And y’all wondered why none of us took up the offer to sleep in Kaleb’s bed!”

“Shut up, asshole!” Grayson shot out while Ryan snorted with laughter.

“We’ll be out in a minute,” Ryan added as he rolled off of Grayson and then onto the floor with a loud _thump_. Grayson snorted with laughter and Ryan’s hand shot up to flip Grayson off.

“What the hell was that?” Preston asked from outside the door.

“Ryan falling off the bed,” Grayson laughed. “Totally normal occurrence!”

“Yep!” Ryan agreed as he pulled himself up from the floor. Grayson laughed again and kissed Ryan lightly.

“Go brush your teeth, ya nasty,” Grayson added as he pushed at Ryan’s face lightly. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he stalked off towards the bathroom.

“You need to brush your teeth too, jerk,” Ryan threw over his shoulder.

“I know!” Grayson chirped as he darted by Ryan to run into the bathroom.

“You’re a douche!” Ryan immediately exclaimed as he ran after Grayson and jumped into the bathroom just as Grayson was about to close the door. Grayson laughed and grabbed Ryan around the waist to pick him up. Ryan screeched out a giggle and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s head.

“Y’all! Fucking brush your teeth and then come eat breakfast!” Charlie exclaimed. “This ain’t no time to be fuckin’ around in the bathroom!”

“Mornings are always a good time to fuck around in the bathroom!” Ryan countered as he grabbed his toothbrush and put toothpaste on it. Grayson snorted and rolled his eyes as he brushed his own teeth. Ryan just smiled and shrugged one shoulder as he began to brush his teeth as well.

“God, you two are so domestic, I’m gonna vomit,” Preston chuckled as he walked by with Hestia at his heels. Grayson simply flipped his older brother off before spitting into the sink.

“Shut up!” Grayson added after he rinsed his mouth out. Ryan smiled around his toothbrush and nudged Grayson with his shoulder before he rinsed his mouth out as well. .

“They’re just ragging on you because they finally can,” Ryan added once he finished rinsing out his mouth. Grayson made a small noise and shrugged before they both left the bathroom to go to the kitchen. Hestia immediately greeted both of them with licks to the hand before attaching herself to Ryan’s side. Ryan smiled and sat down at the kitchen table before patting his lap. Hestia panted happily and jumped into Ryan’s lap to nuzzle into Ryan’s neck.

“God, you’re ridiculous,” Grayson chuckled as he ruffled Ryan’s hair on his way to the stove. Ryan just smiled and scratched at Hestia’s chest.

“And you’re ridiculous with him, so there’s that,” Colby said with a shrug as he jumped up onto the counter with a pancake in his hand. Grayson shrugged in response as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

“A life without ridiculousness is not a life worth living,” Ryan chirped with a bright smile. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes while Preston, Colby, and Charlie all shook their heads.

“You sure chose a special one, Duck,” Charlie hummed as she clapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“Yep. He’s a lovable one,” Grayson replied with a bright smile as he walked over to kiss Ryan’s temple and then sit down at the table. Ryan smiled and scrunched up his nose happily as he pressed his cheek to the top of Hestia’s head.

“Aw, you’re cute,” Ryan added. Grayson smiled widely and nudged Ryan’s knee with his own before he took a sip of his coffee.

“What’s not cute is how much you two make me wanna puke,” Preston commented as he dropped into a seat at the table.

“Oh, shut up and let our little duck be happy,” Charlie chided as she smacked Preston on the back of the head. Preston made a stubborn noise and swat at Charlie’s hand. Grayson, Ryan, and Colby all smiled and shook their heads.

“So, what are we watching today?” Colby asked.

“Mmh, I brought over the Brandywine DVDs in case Gray wanted to finish the series,” Ryan said with a shrug as he swayed Hestia in his lap slightly.

“Brandywine?” Colby and Preston asked in unison. Ryan immediately groaned and threw his head back while Grayson smirked into his coffee.

“By the looks on both Ryan and Grayson’s faces, you both just stepped in it,” Charlie snorted.

“How do I know so many people who have never seen Brandywine?” Ryan complained loudly.

“Because we’re the wrong generation, babe,” Grayson replied as he pat Ryan’s knee.

“Not an excuse! It is literally a show that most parents watched!” Ryan exclaimed with a flourish of his hands. “I already told you how I attracted all the mothers when I dressed as Eli for Halloween!”

“You dressed up as your dad’s TV character for Halloween one year?” Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow. Ryan nodded once in response as he shifted Hestia in his lap slightly.

“It was an interesting Halloween, to say the least,” Ryan breathed.

“Wait, so can we go back to what Brandywine is?” Colby asked as he slid off of the counter to get another cup of coffee.

“It’s the show my dads were in all throughout high school,” Ryan answered.

“All through high school? That’s rough,” Preston breathed. Ryan shrugged and propped his foot up on Grayson’s knee.

“They balanced it. They both did other stuff as well,” Ryan added as he jerked his foot slightly when Grayson poked at the arch of Ryan’s foot.

“Your family sounds insane and ridiculous,” Colby hummed. Ryan smiled and shrugged and hummed in agreement.

“C’mon, movie time?” Grayson asked as he smacked Ryan’s foot.

“Hell yeah,” Charlie giggled as she skipped into the living room. Ryan and Grayson both chuckled and followed her, Ryan clutching Hestia in his arms as best he could. Grayson snorted and clapped Ryan on the shoulder before they both collapsed onto the couch.

“You guys choose a movie,” Grayson breathed as he allowed Hestia to wiggle her way halfway into his lap.

“You have given us the power, baby brother,” Preston hissed out happily as he jumped over to the movie shelf with Colby at his side. Charlie smiled and rolled her eyes as she settled into the armchair.

“No horror,” Grayson commented as he and Ryan leaned together with Hestia sprawled across both their laps.

“Okey doke,” Colby hummed as he and Preston browsed through the movies.

“No Christmas movies either. It’s too early,” Charlie complained. Preston simply gave Charlie a thumbs-up.

“You’re my kind of person, Charlie,” Ryan hummed happily as he rested his head on Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson chuckled and kissed Ryan’s temple.

“You chose a good one, Duckie. Don’t let him go,” Charlie commented in response as she smiled brightly and looked over at Grayson. Grayson smiled back and rested his cheek against the top of Ryan’s head.

“I don’t intend to let him go,” Grayson added as he hugged Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan just giggled and cuddled into Grayson’s chest happily before he kissed Grayson’s cheek. Grayson smiled and did the same in response before they all settled down to watch the movie Colby and Preston picked out.

000000

“I hate finals!” Ryan complained loudly as he flopped out on the couch. “I’m tired and my brain hurts and my legs hurt and my shoulder hurts from when I fell the other day. _My entire being hurts_.”

“Don’t even speak!” Hayden exclaimed from the dining room table where she had biology textbooks spread out around her. “Your finals are _nothing_ compared to mine. Wanna switch?”

“Y’all, we are _not_ getting into this again,” Devin grumbled from the kitchen where he was editing a video on his computer. “While all of our finals are taxing, they are different. So shut the fuck up competition-wise and just fuckin’ complain.”

“God, I just _hate_ finals,” Hayden breathed as she thumped her head down on the table. “I hate school. Can’t we just watch movies and have sex with our partners instead?”

“Movies, yes. Sex, no. I’d like to pass my classes,” Ryan grunted as he sat up and ran his hands through his hair. “Shall we go for our go-to finals movies?”

“God _yes_. Get the Star Wars 26 DVDs,” Devin breathed happily as his shoulders sagged slightly. Ryan smirked and rolled off of the couch to crawl over to the shelf of movies. Hestia opened her eyes and watched Ryan from her spot on the couch.

“Remind me why those are our go-to finals movies?” Hayden asked as she flipped through one of her textbooks.

“Because I snapped first semester after hours of the same classical music and started singing the Star Wars theme,” Ryan replied as he crawled over to the TV to put one of the DVDs in.

“Yep,” Devin agreed as he grabbed his laptop and moved into the living room to collapse onto the loveseat and plug his laptop in.

“God, sometimes I wonder how I became friends with the two of you,” Hayden breathed as she flipped through her notes. “Like, who the fuck breaks into Star Wars theme song?”

“Someone who has been practicing with classical music for hours on end,” Ryan replied as he flopped back onto the couch and rested his head against Hestia’s side. Hestia released a small grunt and then turned to lick Ryan’s forehead. Ryan smiled and pat her side affectionately before he grabbed the blanket off of the back of the couch to wrap it around himself. “Guys, I am so tired. I didn’t think I could ever be this tired. I feel like I haven’t slept in _weeks_. I hate dance classes.”

“Why do you think I dropped them after freshman year?” Devin asked offhandedly as he clicked through something on his computer. Ryan shrugged and nodded once as he hit play on the DVD menu.

“Unfortunately it is a huge part of one of my majors27,” Ryan sighed as he stretched his legs out as best as he could.

“That’s your fault,” Hayden told him before she released a long yawn. Ryan simply hummed in agreement and then stretched his arms above his head.

“I wish I didn’t have to move for the next week,” Ryan sighed.

“Too bad you have a choreography final tomorrow,” Devin snorted. Ryan groaned loudly and flopped his limbs out in different directions.

“Don’t remind me,” Ryan heaved out. “I am _so sore_. Like, I haven’t been this sore since that time Eric and I had that entire weekend of only sex.”

“What in the hell…?” Hayden asked.

“Junior year was a wild time for those two,” Devin sighed out. “I spend most of my time in Isaac’s room because I got sexiled so much.”

“Accurate statement,” Ryan breathed out. Devin hummed and then pulled himself out of his seat to go back into the kitchen and grab an ice pack to hand to Ryan. “You’re a godsend, Devin. If you were into dudes, I would have married you by now.”

“Don’t lie. You’re too perfect with Grayson,” Devin retorted as he retreated back to the loveseat. Hayden hummed her agreement as she shifted in her seat and curled up on it.

“Seriously. I feel like you two are gonna get married soon and you’ve only been dating for a month and a half,” Hayden added.

“Mhm,” Devin agreed. “You already act like a married couple half the time.”

“We do not,” Ryan countered as he glared between Devin and Hayden.

“You totally do,” Devin said. “Not only that, but you guys act like Riker and Jeff. You both look at each other like you hung the moon and cuddle all of the time and get into ridiculous poking fights and giggle. It’s absolutely ridiculous and adorable.”

“Pretty much,” Hayden agreed as she slammed one of her textbooks closed. “I mean, I am totally happy both of you are happy, but you’re ridiculous.”

“Like you were any better when you started with Lowell,” Ryan hissed out. Devin and Hayden both snorted and looked over at Ryan with sarcastic expressions.

“Lowell and I were nowhere near as bad as you and Grayson. We weren’t even as bad as when _before_ y’all were dating,” Hayden told Ryan. Devin nodded in agreement and tossed a throw pillow over at Ryan. Ryan made a stubborn noise and caught the pillow before he shoved it beneath his knees.

“You may have thrown that to be a douche, but you know I could’ve used it,” Ryan sighed.

“Dude. I know. I know how you get after practicing for a long time,” Devin chuckled as he turned back to his laptop. “I’ve known you for seventeen years, I know how you work, dude.”

“Then can you _please_ hit me over the head with a frying pan and put me the fuck to sleep?” Ryan whined as he moved the ice pack from one of his legs to his forehead.

“Nah. You’ll sleep soon enough,” Devin replied offhandedly as he focused his attention back on his computer. Ryan groaned loudly and flopped his arms out.

“Don’t you have some thing to write for your play write class?” Hayden asked. Ryan groaned loudly again and rubbed his hands over his face.

“ _Fuck_!” Ryan exclaimed. “I can’t moooove.”

“God, you’re a pain in the ass,” Hayden breathed before she shoved up from the table to go to Ryan’s room.

“You’re a godsend!” Ryan called out. Hayden made a noncommittal noise before she walked back into the room and placed Ryan’s laptop on his stomach. “Thank you, you beautiful being of divinity.”

“You’re welcome, lard-ass,” Hayden replied easily as she sauntered back over to the table and her textbooks.

“Remind me why I took a play write class?” Ryan asked as he opened his document to look over it.

“Because Addie coerced you into it and told you that it would be a good idea,” Devin breathed out. “Same reason I took it last fall semester. I told you it fuckin’ sucked.”

“I believed you. It’s mostly just the editing,” Ryan heaved out. Devin hummed in agreement.

“At least it’s not an hour long video,” Devin countered.

“You’re the film major,” Hayden snorted. “Like, you have no one but yourself to blame there.”

“I know,” Devin sighed as he slouched down in his seat. “I’m just so ready to be done with this project and to be done with finals.”

“I’m so ready for _sex_ ,” Hayden sighed wistfully. Devin made a small noise in agreement and Ryan heaved out a sigh.

“I definitely need Grayson’s ass on my face. Fuck finals. Why did we ban our significant others from the apartment again?” Ryan asked.

“So we pass our classes,” Devin immediately replied. Hayden and Ryan both made small noises in agreement.

“Valid point,” Hayden agreed. “Plus, Ry, you’re the one who came up with the rule since Grayson’s the one who basically lives here.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ryan replied as he shifted slightly and leaned back against Hestia. “But it’s more the fact that _he_ wouldn’t get anything done. I’ve turned him into some kind of [sex fiend](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/125812415539/qhuinn-i-was-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-expecting).”

“That’s because you’re a sexual deviant, Ry,” Devin snorted. “Has he even topped yet?”

“No, he has not,” Ryan replied easily. “I honestly think he’s afraid to. I ain’t gonna push him into something he’s not comfortable with.”

“You did just hear your own statement, right?” Hayden asked with a snort. Ryan grunted and flipped her off over the back of the couch.

“Shut up,” Ryan added. “Don’t judge my sexual life, Hayden.”

“I’m not judging. I’m just saying that the statement fit in with the subject at hand,” Hayden chirped.

“Yeah, I know,” Ryan breathed. “I just want to be done with finals and I want to go home and I want to be with Grayson and not worry about anything for a month.”

“Except that movie premiere,” Devin informed as he pointed in Ryan’s direction.

“Oh, true life,” Ryan said as he pointed back. “ _But_ , Gray’s gonna be with me for most of break.”

“Wait, _what_?” Devin and Hayden exclaimed in unison then as they stared at Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan stared back with equally wide eyes from where he was sprawled across the couch.

“What?” Ryan asked in response.

“Is Grayson going home with you?” Devin squeaked.

“Oh, yeah,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Hayden flailed her arms in Ryan’s direction and then nearly fell out of her chair.

“ _Since when_?” she squawked.

“Since Thanksgiving,” Ryan said as he turned his attention back to his computer. “I asked him then and he agreed.”

“Do Riker and Jeff know?” Devin asked even as he clicked on things on his laptop.

“I’m sure Papa told Daddy that I was thinking about asking Grayson,” Ryan stated. “We both know how excitable Papa is. He probably gushed about it while Daddy was puking, to be honest.”

“Yeah, valid,” Devin agreed with a small shrug.

“Who the fuck has discussions like that while one party is puking?” Hayden asked quietly.

“My parents,” Ryan told her as he deleted a few words and re-wrote them. “My aunts and uncles used to tell Martie embarrassing stories about my dads while she was puking due to morning sickness.”

“Same thing happened with Shay when she had morning sickness with Kyler and Avalon. Artemis would come around and tell her stories. Sometimes Ry, Lase, and I would sit there and listen too,” Devin said. Ryan made a noise in agreement while Hayden shook her head.

“Y’all are weird,” Hayden breathed as she curled up on the chair and grabbed one of her other journals.

“We know,” Ryan and Devin sighed in unison.

“I’m so done with editing right now. Star Wars all the way,” Devin grunted as he closed his laptop. Ryan gave Devin a thumbs-up as Hayden giggled in the background.

“Finish your editing, you must,” Hayden ground out. Devin flipped Hayden off and curled up on the loveseat. Ryan smiled and shook his head slightly as he scrolled through his document as they all fell silent and turned their attention to studying and Star Wars.

000000

“God, I missed you,” Ryan giggled on Saturday morning as he crawled on top of Grayson. Grayson hummed happily and placed his hands on top of Ryan’s thighs. Ryan smiled widely and wiggled his thighs slightly. “I’m also really happy I finally got to sleep.”

“Me too,” Grayson chuckled. “I missed cuddling. We should never do that again.”

“ _Aw_ , you’re cute,” Ryan hummed as he squished Grayson’s cheek. “However, it was necessary. Didn’t you want to pass your finals?”

“Yeah. But I wanted to cuddle with you more,” Grayson replied as he grabbed onto Ryan’s hand and kissed it. Ryan giggled and pulled Grayson’s hand towards himself to nuzzle into it.

“I missed cuddling too. It’s not the same with just Hestia,” Ryan replied as he shifted slightly and pat Grayson’s chest. Grayson smiled smugly and pat Ryan’s thigh. “I’m just really happy to be done with finals. I thought I was never going to be able to move again.”

“That bad?” Grayson asked. Ryan nodded once as he ran his fingers through Grayson’s chest hair.

“Why do you think I made you massage my muscles for nearly an hour last night?” Ryan asked. Grayson smiled and shrugged with one shoulder as he pat Ryan’s thighs.

“I may have started to think about it but quickly got distracted by the fact that you begged me to stick my dick in your ass,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan snorted and slapped Grayson’s shoulder.

“I used nicer words and _you’re_ the beggar in this relationship,” Ryan countered, emphasizing his point with pokes to Grayson’s chest. “Plus, it’s not like you were complaining, jerk face.”

“Who in their right mind would complain about sex?” Grayson asked in response. Ryan gave Grayson a sarcastic expression and Grayson smiled innocently. “ _I loooove you_.”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too,” Ryan replied as he rolled his eyes and then leaned down to kiss Grayson lightly. Ryan propped his elbows on Grayson’s chest then and cupped his chin in his hands to look down at Grayson. “So, you ready to meet my family?”

“Nope. Don’t think I will ever be,” Grayson chuckled with a smile. “ _But_ , I am also excited to meet all the people who are a part of your life.”

“Aw, you’re the best,” Ryan hummed happily before he leaned down to kiss the tip of Grayson’s nose.

“I know,” Grayson chuckled. “I mean, I did give you a ridiculously long massage last night!”

“God! You don’t even know how sore I was, okay?” Ryan exclaimed as he sat up. “Like, there was no physical way I could have fucked you last night!”

“Well, that’s something I never needed to hear,” Lowell commented from outside the door right before he opened it. Grayson and Ryan both looked over at Lowell. Ryan smiled widely at Lowell while Grayson coughed and blushed.

“Like you didn’t have sex last night, Lowell,” Ryan added as he rolled his eyes. Lowell gave a noncommittal shrug and nodded once.

“Valid point,” Lowell agreed. “However, I was sent to inform you chaps that breakfast is ready.”

“Yeah! Food!” Shannon’s voice called through the apartment.

“ _Fooood_!” Kaleb’s voice echoed in agreement.

“Shut up! Dear god,” Devin complained, quickly followed by a giggle from Hayden.       

“Go attend to the savages in the kitchen. We’ll be out in a minute,” Ryan said as he waved at Lowell, who nodded and then walked back down the hallway.

“I don’t wanna leave bed. It’s _cold_ out there,” Grayson whined. Ryan simply smiled and pat Grayson’s chest before he climbed out of bed. Grayson made a stubborn noise and rolled over onto his stomach. Ryan chuckled and tossed a pair of sweatpants at Grayson.

“Get up, you lazy ass,” Ryan snorted as he pulled on a sweatshirt. Grayson groaned loudly before he finally rolled out of bed and pulled on the sweatpants. “Wow, _it moves_.”

“Shut up,” Grayson replied stubbornly.

“No. I will make fun of you all I want since I literally spent this past week in perpetual movement for choreography,” Ryan chirped as he flit out of the room and walked down the hallway.

“How long are you gonna pull that?” Grayson asked as he followed Ryan.

“A week, give or take a few days,” Devin told Grayson. Ryan smiled widely and collapsed onto the couch before he accepted a plate of pancakes from Hayden. “It’s valid complaints, though. Bro nearly pulled a thigh muscle this finals week.”

“Yep,” Hayden chirped as she walked by and ruffled Ryan’s hair. “That and barely sleeping. No rest for Ryan’s muscles.”

“No rest for Ryan at all,” Ryan breathed as he propped his feet up on the coffee table before Hestia jumped up onto the couch and curled into his side.

“Yep. This week was filled with Star Wars and lack of sleep,” Devin heaved out as he sat down on Hestia’s other side.

“That explains _so much_ ,” Grayson breathed out.

“What?” Kaleb asked. “What does it explain?”

“It explains the fact that Ryan made [light saber noises last night when our dicks touched](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/123689342644),” Grayson snorted into the mug of coffee that Lowell had handed him. Ryan immediately began to giggle while Devin smirked and Hayden shook her head fondly. Kaleb and Shannon simply stared at Ryan with confused expressions.

“Step up from when he runs around naked by himself making light saber noises,” Lowell commented as he sat down next to Hayden. Ryan shrugged and nodded in agreement.

“Ryan’s an odd person. The sooner you accept it, the easier your life will be,” Hayden told Kaleb and Shannon. “It’s how I deal with it. I’m not sure how Grayson does it.”

“Because they’re having sex,” Devin replied airily as he curled up against the arm of the couch. “I mean, aside from that they’re totally in love. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“Aw, Devin, you gonna get sappy on me?” Ryan cooed out. Devin made a face and flipped Ryan off and then reached out to punch Ryan’s shoulder lightly. Ryan smiled and leaned over Hestia to smack a kiss to Devin’s cheek.

“God, you guys are so weird,” Shannon breathed as she shook her head.

“We know,” Ryan and Devin replied in unison.

“It happens when you’ve known each other since you were toddlers,” Ryan hummed as he settled back into his seat. Devin made a noise in agreement as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Yep. We were either gonna become brothers or end up fuckin’ like Ry’s parents in that case. As I’m heterosexual, we went the brothers route,” Devin added. Ryan smiled widely then and reached out to pat Devin’s thigh.

“Good. I don’t think I could handle living with the two of you if you were doin’ it,” Hayden breathed out. “You’re both too adventurous in sex. I’d come home to find y’all on the patio or something.”

“Uuuh…” Devin started as Ryan made a face and Grayson blushed furiously.

“ _Oh my god_!” Hayden squawked while Lowell snorted. “You guys have had sex on the patio? I don’t even wanna know with you, Ry. It’s been cold out since you and Grayson started having sex.”

“I never said it was fully naked sex,” Ryan said with a shrug. Grayson pinched Ryan’s arm and Ryan gave him a look. “Oh, don’t be such a prude, Gray. No one cares here.”

“Wrong! I care! Grayson is such a prude and somehow you’ve gotten him to get busy while not in a bedroom? _What are you_?” Shannon asked dramatically with narrowed eyes. Ryan stared back with wide eyes in shock.

“Seriously, though. Grayson has always been an odd little duck about sex,” Kaleb tacked on before he took a bite out of a pancake. “Now he’s dating you and apparently he is a sexual deviant.”

“That’s because Ryan is a sexual deviant,” Lowell commented.

“A deviant with a wide skill range,” Devin said with a small nod. Grayson gave a small shrug and nod. Hayden snorted and reached out to poke Grayson’s knee with her foot.

“Grayson’s opened up quite a bit since he met Ryan. It’s been an experience to watch,” Hayden chirped. “Granted, most of the opening only applied within this apartment, but it’s still something.”

“Shut up,” Grayson grumbled as he reached out to slap Hayden’s knee. Hayden smiled innocently and then stuck her tongue out at Grayson.

“I’m not even sure I want to know all of the things that have happened in this apartment,” Kaleb commented.

“A lot of weird things, to put it lightly,” Lowell replied as he slouched down slightly. Ryan, Devin, and Hayden all nodded and hummed in agreement.

“From what I’ve heard, that is extremely accurate,” Shannon chirped. “It makes me kinda sad I didn’t know you guys sooner.”

“Aw, thanks, Shannon,” Ryan trilled with a wide smile before he shoved a piece of pancake in his mouth. Shannon smiled and rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the couch.

“However, you should be happy you missed the drama of freshman year,” Hayden said.

“Hey, that was all because of Eric!” Ryan exclaimed defensively as he pointed in Hayden’s direction.

“Pretty much,” Devin agreed. “Most drama in our lives high school through freshman year was Eric fueled.”

“Wait, who is Eric?” Kaleb asked as he looked around all of them with a confused expression.

“My asshole ex,” Ryan breathed out as he leaned into Grayson’s side as Grayson wrapped an arm tightly around his shoulders.

“Mhm. Eric liked to start a lot of shit. There’s a reason Luca, Caron, and Nico hate Eric,” Devin said.

“God, he’s on Caron’s bad side? How is he alive?” Hayden asked with wide eyes.

“Martie keeps her in check so she doesn’t actually murder anyone,” Ryan said with a small shrug.

“Who is this person you’re worried about killing someone…?” Shannon asked.

“My younger half sister. She is a twelve year old demon,” Ryan replied. “I mean, she’s a total sweetheart when she gets to know you and such, but that doesn’t mean she won’t pull terrible pranks on you.”

“Yeah. She loves me and nearly broke my wrist once,” Devin said with a shrug.

“Mhm. Some of her pranks go haywire sometimes. That child is the only reason I’ve ever had stitches,” Ryan chirped. Grayson stared between Ryan and Devin then with a worried expression.

“You expect me to deal with that?” Grayson asked in a tight voice. Ryan smiled and pat Grayson’s chest.

“Don’t worry. Martie already said she would keep Caron in check while you’re there,” Ryan told Grayson. “I’m sure Luca will too since the pup likes you.”

“Yeah. Pup’s a good kid,” Devin agreed.

“Pup?” Kaleb asked.

“Mhm! That’s Luca’s pet name. His younger sister is Kit,” Ryan replied.

“What the hell? What kind of nicknames are there in your family?” Shannon asked.

“Some weird ones. Ryan’s younger siblings are the beans,” Devin said.

“Mhm! Pinto and Jelly!” Ryan chirped happily. Shannon and Kaleb stared at Ryan in confusion. Ryan heaved out a sigh and shifted in his seat. “Kyler is Pinto because he gets freckles all over his face in the summer. Avalon is Jelly because she literally used to run around the house with jars of jelly.”

“It was always adorable to see a baby toddling around with jelly jars held in both hands,” Devin said with a fond smile. Ryan giggled and nodded in agreement.

“Your younger siblings sound adorable,” Shannon said as she looked over at Ryan.

“They are,” Lowell commented. “They have very wide imaginations and manage not to destroy each other despite very different interests.”

“Yeah. They are very unlike Lase and me in that way,” Ryan breathed out as he pet Hestia’s side. “As kids Lasey liked to remind me _constantly_ that she and Jude let me watch Princess and the Frog, like, every day. She was such a terrible older sister.”

“Still is, to be honest,” Devin breathed out. Ryan hummed in agreement.

“Wait, aren’t you dating his older sister?” Kaleb asked as he pointed between Devin and Ryan.

“Yeah. Doesn’t mean I can’t admit she is sometimes a terrible older sister…and sometimes human being,” Devin replied with a shrug. “She literally blew off a date once because she was _too lazy to move off of her bed_. She then proceeded to tell me not to come over because she said she would rather masturbate than actually have sex that night.”

“No wonder I liked her,” Shannon chirped with a smile.

“Yeah. Lasey’s an interesting person,” Ryan heaved out. “I just have the honor of being her little brother.”

“What an honor,” Grayson snorted as he ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan smiled and swat at Grayson’s arm.

“You’re going to be spending some more quality time with her next week, so get used to it,” Ryan added. Grayson chuckled and pulled Ryan closer to kiss his temple.

“God, y’all make me wanna vomit,” Hayden gagged. “I hope you never have kids because that would be intolerable.”

“We already have a child and her name is Hestia!” Ryan squawked as he leaned over to collapse on top of Hestia slightly.

“Nah. Hestia is only yours. Grayson is just like her adoptive dad, or something,” Devin replied. Ryan shrugged nonchalantly and Grayson shook his head slightly.

“You guys are so weird,” Kaleb commented. “Like, what the fuck?”

“Welcome to a normal day in the Castellan apartment,” Lowell told Kaleb. Ryan smiled brightly and threw his arms above his head.

“It’s a wonderful place to be: Castellan Flats!” Ryan bugled. Grayson laughed and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s abdomen while Devin and Hayden echoed Ryan’s bugle and Lowell punched the air once. Shannon and Kaleb exchanged a shocked glance with raised eyebrows.

“Seriously, something is wrong with you guys,” Shannon breathed as she got up to go into the kitchen.

“Don’t we know it!” Devin exclaimed with a wide smile. Ryan and Hayden both made noises in agreement while Grayson, Lowell, and Kaleb shook their heads before everyone settled down to watch a movie.

000000

“Okay, I’ve grabbed everything you need from here down in my car,” Ryan said as he looked around Grayson’s apartment with his hands on his hips. Grayson hummed in agreement and  smacked a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“Yes, you do,” Grayson hummed as they linked hands and walked out of the apartment.

“You excited to come to the Castellan mother ship?” Ryan asked as he swung their hands between them.

“As I’ll ever be,” Grayson chuckled as they both hopped down the last step. Ryan giggled and bumped their shoulders together before they walked out into the cold air.

“I’m happy you agreed to come visit,” Ryan chirped as he turned to stare at Grayson and walked backwards to smile at Grayson. Grayson smiled in response and squeezed Ryan’s hand.

“Me too,” Grayson breathed, small puff of breath visible coming from his mouth. Ryan smiled and pulled Grayson a bit closer as they reached Ryan’s car. Grayson smiled in response and pressed their foreheads together.

“I’ll see you at home in a few days, yeah?” Ryan asked quietly. Grayson huffed out a small chuckle and nodded before he kissed Ryan lightly.

“Yeah,” Grayson added once they broke apart. Ryan giggled and nuzzled their noses together.

“Love you,” Ryan hummed.

“Love you too. Drive safe,” Grayson replied as they pulled apart. Ryan smiled over his shoulder before he climbed into his car and fully started his car as he’d had it on for the heat since he’d left Hestia in it for the few minutes he’d been upstairs. Grayson smiled and pat the hood of Ryan’s car before he walked back inside. Ryan smiled and honked once before he pulled out of the parking spot.

Hestia made a small noise and rested her chin on the console between the seats to lick at Ryan’s clothed elbow. Ryan chuckled and scratched her head before he hit the button on his dashboard to call home.

“Ryan!” Kyler’s excited voice answered.

“Hey, Pinto,” Ryan chuckled.

“You come home?” Kyler asked.

“Yeah, buddy. I called to tell Daddy and Papa that I’m on my way home now,” Ryan replied. Kyler made a happy noise and Ryan smiled to himself.

“Ky, who are you on the phone with?” Jeff’s voice asked in the background.

“Ry!” Kyler chirped happily.

“Ryan?” Jeff’s voice asked then.

“Hi, Papa,” Ryan chuckled. “I was just calling to tell you guys that I’m on my way home. Grayson’s gonna come by in a few days.”

“Mkay,” Jeff hummed. “No, Avalon Lynette! You put that glitter down! Shit, Ry, I gotta go before there’s glitter everywhere. See you later!”

“Well, okay then, huh, Hesty?” Ryan asked as he smiled and scratched between Hestia’s ears. Hestia simply made a small noise and then sprawled out in the passenger seat. “Oh, just gloat, why don’t you? Because I can’t sprawl out yet. You’re a cruel, puppy.”

Hestia made another noise and nudged Ryan’s elbow with her nose. Ryan smiled and turned on the radio before he placed both hands back on the wheel as he continued his drive home.

000000

“Wake up! Up, up!” Avalon squeaked a few mornings later as she jumped onto Ryan’s bed. Ryan made a stubborn noise and Hestia grumbled unhappily. Avalon giggled and crawled on top of Ryan’s back to slap at his shoulders. Ryan grumbled and turned his face slightly to peek up at his younger sister. Avalon smiled brightly, strawberry blonde hair a mess around her face.

“Mo’ning, li’l bean,” Ryan breathed. Avalon’s smile broadened and she wiggled on Ryan’s back.

“Morning,” Avalon replied. “Daddy say up time.”

“Yeah? Is breakfast being made?” Ryan asked as he began to turn over slowly. Avalon made a small noise and hopped off of Ryan’s back to settle next to him.

“Yah. Lasey up already, even!” Avalon chirped as she reached over to pat Hestia on the head.

“Wow, that’s quite impressive,” Ryan chuckled as he stretched and then sat up. Avalon hummed and climbed into Ryan’s lap.

“Ky and I jump on her. Addie, Kaiden, and Katie here!” Avalon bugled.

“Oh, then I better get ready, huh?” Ryan asked. Avalon smiled brightly and nodded. Ryan chuckled and kissed the top of Avalon’s head before he got up to head to the bathroom. Hestia grunted and huffed out a breath before she jumped off of the bed to go downstairs.

“Brush teef,” Avalon giggled as Ryan sat her on top of the sink. Ryan just smiled and ruffled her hair before he grabbed his toothbrush.

“You’ve brushed yours already this morning, yes?” Ryan asked as he ran his toothbrush under the water and then put toothpaste on it. Avalon nodded and pushed stray hairs away from her face. Ryan hummed happily then and ruffled her hair once more as he brushed his teeth.

“Ryan! Hurry your ass up!” Jeff called from downstairs.

“Brushing my teeth!” Ryan replied from around his toothbrush.

“Basic human hygiene, gross,” Katie’s voice giggled. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he rinsed out his mouth.

“You’re a terrible human being!” Ryan called out as he scooped Avalon back up and went downstairs.

“I know,” Katie giggled as she made a face at Ryan when he appeared. Ryan placed Avalon down before pulling Katie into a hug. Katie giggled and hugged Ryan back.

“Hey, baby boy,” Addie hummed as she walked up and ruffled Ryan’s hair. Ryan smiled and turned to pull Addie into a hug as well, completely enveloping her. “Ugh, you Castellan men and your tall heights.”

“You love it, Adds,” Ryan chuckled as he kissed the top of her head. Addie huffed out a small laugh and pat Ryan’s back.

“Ryan! When’s the new meat getting here?” Kaiden boomed loudly as he walked up and pulled Ryan into a hug.

“I fuckin’ swear, if you interrogate Grayson as soon as he gets here I will kick you in the nuts,” Ryan growled even as he hugged Kaiden back.

“Aw, you’re no fun, Ry,” Kaiden chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Grayson’s a good dude,” Lasey said as she walked by and clapped Kaiden on the shoulder. “Also, Grayson gets here today.”

“Oo _yay_!” Addie giggled happily.

“Again, if you guys interrogate him as soon as he is here I will _harm_ you!” Ryan called out.

“Lighten up, baby boy!” Riker exclaimed.

“Or maybe don’t. _Ryan_!” Lasey suddenly exclaimed. Ryan’s eyes immediately widened as he pulled away from Kaiden to stumble his way towards Lasey. She was staring down at her phone in shock and Ryan peaked over her shoulder.

“Oh. _Oh no_ ,” Ryan grunted as he looked down at a web page on Lasey’s phone that showed a [picture](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/127431010399/blamethewolf-some-kissing)28 of him and Grayson kissing outside Grayson’s apartment building. “ _Shit_. I can’t believe we got careless. _Fuck_.”

“This is not your fault, Ryan. Paparazzi are creepy,” Lasey grumbled angrily before she scrolled up the page some and pointed at the author of the article. “This is Shelly Pristal’s fault. She’s probably been waiting to get back at you since you blew off that interview.”

“An interview that never should have happened because she’s banned from Lydia’s sets,” Ryan hissed angrily as he clenched his fists.

“Wait, what?” Jeff and Riker asked as they walked up behind Ryan and Lasey.

“Oh crap,” Riker breathed out before he wrapped an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. “You guys will work it out when he gets here, okay? Try not to worry about it right now.”

“Don’t get all logical on me,” Ryan replied. Riker chuckled and pressed a kiss to Ryan’s temple.

“Hey, Papa and I have been there too. It will be fine,” Riker assured. Jeff smiled in agreement and kissed Ryan’s cheek.

“Be happy you don’t have to fight off upset teenage girls,” Jeff chirped as he ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Point,” Ryan said with a small nod. “I just wanted us to do it on our own terms, you know?”

“Mhm. That’s hard to achieve in Hollywood,” Riker hummed as he hugged Ryan to his side. Jeff made a noise in agreement.

“Damn, your boy toy is _smoking_ ,” Katie snorted as she looked down at Lasey’s phone. “Like, _hot damn_ , Ryan.”

“Stop objectifying him,” Ryan scolded as he broke out of Riker’s hold to launch himself at Katie. Katie squeaked out a giggle and darted away from Ryan. Ryan followed after her and jumped onto her back. Katie squawked but then wrapped her arms beneath his thighs.

“I have the mighty Ryan! He is now under my control!” Katie bugled as she began to run around the house. Kyler and Avalon both squeaked out happily and ran after Katie, hands in the air.

“Get ‘em!” Kyler squeaked.

“Ah no! The beanie monsters are after us!” Ryan exclaimed. Katie screamed dramatically and continued to run through the house with Ryan on her back.

“Go, beanies, go!” Lasey encouraged as she tapped them both lightly on the back. They both giggled manically and continued after Katie and Ryan. Ryan just giggled and clung to Katie’s back.

“Hey! Door!” Jeff suddenly called out. “Get it!”

“Yep!” Katie squeaked as she darted towards the door.

“No! Gotta get you!” Kyler exclaimed as he followed after them.

“Escape the beans!” Ryan bugled even as Katie skidded to a stop at the door. Both twins squeaked as they tumbled to the floor as they tried to stop and Katie cackled manically as she threw the door open. Ryan immediately smiled widely as he saw Grayson standing there with wide eyes. “Gray!”

“Uh, hi, Ryan,” Grayson stuttered out.

“Oo, he’s even nicer in person, Ry,” Katie giggled. Ryan made a stubborn noise and cuffed the side of Katie’s head. Hestia appeared then, tail wagging madly as she launched herself at Grayson. He grunted as she collided with her legs and then shoved her inside.

“C’mon, inside. It’s cold,” Ryan giggled as he squeezed his legs around Katie’s waist lightly so she would move. Katie giggled and shuffled out of the way, moving one hand from Ryan’s thigh to grab at Hestia’s collar to hold her back.

“Grayson!” Kyler and Avalon both squeaked happily as they noticed him.

“Hey, beans!” Grayson exclaimed happily as he crouched down to hug them both.

“Ry say you gonna stay here for a bit,” Kyler giggled happily as he looked up at Grayson.

“I am,” Grayson assured.

“Yay! Cuddles, yeah?” Avalon asked.

“As much as you want,” Grayson replied as he kissed her cheek.

“Hey! How can you kiss her before me? Rude!” Ryan exclaimed as he jut out his bottom lip. Grayson chuckled as he stood back up and smiled fondly at Ryan.

“I’m not going to kiss you while you’re clinging to someone’s back,” Grayson said. Ryan made a stubborn noise and then slid off of Katie’s back.

“Kiss?” Ryan asked then with a pout. Grayson chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Ryan lightly. Ryan hummed happily and reached out to latch onto Grayson’s shirt. “I missed you.”

“Aw, I missed you too,” Grayson whispered as he bumped his nose into Ryan’s cheek. Ryan giggled and hugged Grayson tightly.

“We have a press thing to deal with later, but for now, you have people to meet,” Ryan said as he turned to look at Katie, who was smiling expectantly. “Gray, this is Katie. Kate, this is my boyfriend Grayson.”

“Hi!” Katie chirped with an enthusiastic wave.

“Hello,” Grayson replied with a small wave and a smile.

“Katie, don’t get creepy. That’s Caron’s job,” Ryan told her as he gave her a deadpan look. Katie rolled his eyes and then scooped Kyler up.

“I’ve annoyed the mighty Ryan, how dare I,” Katie cooed as she walked off with Avalon giggling behind her. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he turned to Grayson.

“Wanna bring your things upstairs and then you can meet Addie and Kaiden?” Ryan asked.

“Mmh, sure,” Grayson replied as he kissed Ryan’s nose. Ryan smiled and then picked up Grayson’s suitcase.

“C’mon,” Ryan prodded as he headed up the stairs. Grayson huffed out a chuckle and followed behind Ryan. “Stop looking at my ass. Save it for later.”

“Aw, you’re no fun,” Grayson chuckled as he slapped Ryan’s ass playfully.

“What did I just say?” Ryan squawked as he glared back at Grayson, who smiled innocently. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he led Grayson into his room.

“Aw, look at all the stuffed animals!” Grayson immediately exclaimed.

“Shut up, asshole,” Ryan grumbled as he dropped Grayson’s bag onto his bed. Grayson huffed out a laugh and pulled Ryan closer to kiss him.

“It’s cute,” Grayson assured. Ryan made a stubborn noise and Grayson chuckled. “I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you too,” Ryan hummed. “Now c’mon, Addie and Kaiden await.”

“Is this whole time gonna be me meeting a plethora of people?” Grayson asked as Ryan dragged him down the stairs.

“Probably,” Ryan replied with a shrug. “But they’re all good people, I swear.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Grayson said as he squeezed Ryan’s hand. Ryan squeezed back and led Grayson into the living room.

“Whaddup, Grayson,” Lasey deadpanned without even looking up from her phone.

“Hey, Lasey,” Grayson said with a small snort. Lasey looked up then and smiled briefly before looking back down at her phone. Ryan smiled and then gestured towards Addie and Kaiden.

“Those are Addie and Kaiden. Guys, this is my boyfriend Grayson. You are not allowed to tear him apart,” Ryan introduced.

“Don’t worry. We’re leaving that for Caron,” Kaiden chuckled as he walked over to clap Ryan on the shoulder and then extend a hand towards Grayson. “Nice to meet you, Grayson.”

“You too, Mr. Castellan,” Grayson replied with a smile as he shook Kaiden’s outstretched hand.

“And how exactly do you know that I’m a Castellan and not an Aaronson?” Kaiden asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Dad, you and Uncle Riker are practically clones,” Katie deadpanned.

“That and Ryan also looks like the two of you,” Addie laughed as she walked up and placed a hand on Kaiden’s shoulder. “Aside from that, it is very nice to meet you, Grayson. Don’t bother with the ridiculousness of the Aaronsons and Castellans.”

“After all we’ve done for you, Addison?” Jeff gasped in mock offence. Addie rolled her eyes and shook Grayson’s hand.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Riker’s been a pain in my ass since I met him,” Addie breathed.

“Hey! I was just trying to help you!” Riker exclaimed defensively. Addie turned and smiled at Riker.

“At a time when I really couldn’t accept it, hon29,” Addie replied as she walked over to hug Riker as he pouted dramatically.

“Don’t make fun of my considerate nature, asshole,” Riker grumbled.

“Bad word, Daddy,” Avalon commented airily as she and Kyler colored at their table in the living room. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he dragged Grayson to sit down on the couch with him.

“So, Grayson. Tell us about yourself,” Katie chirped as she bounced over to sit on top of the coffee table in front of Ryan and Grayson. Ryan rolled his eyes and reached out to poke Katie’s leg with his foot.

“Uh, I’m the youngest of four. An older sister and two older brothers,” Grayson said with a shrug. “I’m a junior at Swarthmore majoring in biology and art.”

“Biology and art? That’s a strange combination,” Katie hummed. Grayson nodded once and shrugged slightly.

“It’s the same major as Hayden,” Ryan commented as he thread his fingers through the hair at the nape of Grayson’s neck. Grayson leaned into the touch and draped one leg over Ryan’s knee.

“Oh! So you knew Hayden before you met Ryan this past summer?” Addie asked as she popped up behind Katie. Grayson startled and then recovered as he smiled and nodded at Addie.

“Yeah. I spent the past few years hearing crazy stories about her roommates and not believing any of it until I met Ryan and Devin this year,” Grayson told her.

“Mhm. I’d heard about Grayson beforehand too, just didn’t know his name,” Ryan hummed. Grayson immediately turned to glare at Ryan with narrowed eyes.

“We are not to bring it up,” Grayson hissed. Ryan giggled manically then and curled into Grayson’s side to kiss Grayson’s cheek.

“You’re just a duck obsessed guy, Gray!” Ryan giggled as he pressed Grayson’s cheeks together. Grayson made a stubborn noise and shoved at Ryan’s hands while Ryan continued to giggle and nuzzled into Grayson’s cheek.

“No making fun!” Grayson added stubbornly.

“Aw, you’re adorable and you know lots of random facts about ducks,” Ryan squeaked as he ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“Ducks…?” Katie asked.

“Mhm. According to Grayson’s siblings he was obsessed with ducks as a kid,” Ryan informed her as he leaned back into Grayson’s side and placed his hands on Grayson’s thigh.

“Just like you with frogs,” Lasey chimed in as she scooted over to sit on Ryan’s free side. Ryan hummed in agreement and shifted slightly as Lasey leaned into his side.

“A duck and a frog,” Katie giggled. “You guys should’ve done that for Halloween!”

“Nah. Our costumes this year were awesome,” Lasey huffed out. “Plus, they looked absolutely ridiculous when they finally kissed because they were covered in glitter and Ryan was still wearing wings somehow.”

“I still don’t know how I still had them on either,” Ryan sighed truthfully. Grayson chuckled and blew a kiss against Ryan’s cheek.

“It was endearing,” Grayson said against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes.

“What wasn’t endearing was the body glitter all over my sheets the next morning,” Ryan deadpanned.

“You made that choice, baby boy. I told you it was going to get everywhere when you told me your Halloween plan,” Jeff cooed as he walked by and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“Body glitter is the devil,” Riker hissed as Addie snorted with laughter and Kaiden smiled while he rolled his eyes.

“And yet you’re the one who owns a dance studio in which body glitter is used in most rehearsals,” Kaiden stated.

“Hence the reason I hate body glitter,” Riker countered as he pointed over at Kaiden. “You would too if you walked into class one day to find a bunch of toddlers covered in glitter.”   

“That was completely Mom’s fault. She’d left it out from the rehearsal,” Katie said.

“Wow, throw me under the bus, why don’t you?” Addie asked as she pinched Katie’s shoulder. Katie snorted and pushed at Addie lightly.

“Just telling Riker the facts, Mother,” Katie added.

“You’re a fact,” Avalon giggled out as she looked over.

“Everyone’s a fact,” Kyler added with a small huff. Avalon giggled hysterically and reached out to push Kyler lightly. Kyler squawked indignantly and then tackled Avalon to the floor. Avalon squeaked and then giggled before she wormed her way out from beneath Kyler to take off down the hallway. Kyler laughed and took off after his twin, Hestia panting happily as she trotted after them.

“Careful!” Jeff called out, only to be met with screeches and giggles. Ryan and Lasey both shook their heads while Katie giggled.

“You guys are the ones who reproduced again,” Katie said as she looked over at Riker and Jeff.

“And I only regret it when they’re both ill and there’s vomit everywhere,” Riker breathed as he collapsed onto one of the couched.

“Except last time it was _you_ sick with them rather than _me_ ,” Jeff giggled as he sat down next to Riker and poked his chest.

“And it was like a damn warzone in your bedroom, I swear,” Addie stated as she rolled her eyes and went to sit down with Kaiden.

“This house turns into a warzone whenever _anyone_ is sick,” Ryan huffed as he swiped his thumb lightly over Grayson’s thigh.

“Valid statement,” Lasey agreed. “Whoever isn’t sick is trying to remain healthy, clean up, and take care of the ill ones all at once.”

“Pretty much,” Katie agreed. “The Aaronson genes produced worse patients, though.”

“Hey!” Jeff and Lasey exclaimed in offence. Ryan and Riker both shrugged then and Grayson chuckled.

“Can’t be worse than Colby and Preston,” Grayson said. “They both turn into invalids who absolutely _refuse_ to move.”

“You just described Papa and Lase, babe,” Ryan laughed as he pat Grayson’s thigh. “Though, Lasey likes to add in a lot of loud whining. Devin even avoids her.”

“ _That_ is saying something,” Grayson said as he pointed at Lasey, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

“My boyfriend is a bum,” Lasey huffed out. Katie smiled and rolled her eyes as she reached out to pat Lasey’s knee. Lasey made a stubborn noise and swat at Katie’s hand. Katie giggled and then launched herself into Lasey’s lap. Lasey grunted but then laughed as she hugged Katie.

“God. I just thought it was your apartment. Nope, just your entire family,” Grayson breathed.

“Aw, _you’re learning_ ,” Ryan cooed as he grabbed onto Grayson’s face and kissed him. Grayson chuckled against Ryan’s lips.

“And you’re _ridiculous_ ,” Grayson replied as he wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders and pulled Ryan close to his side. Ryan squawked but then giggled as he wrapped his own arms around Grayson’s waist. He nipped at Grayson’s jaw then and Grayson laughed as he pulled at Ryan’s earlobes.

“God, you’re both ridiculous,” Katie breathed as she shook her head at them. Ryan and Grayson both stopped then and turned to look at her with wide eyes. Lasey and Katie both snorted with laughter.

“Not even the first time I have seen that expression from the both of them. It’s like they both forget other people are in the room,” Lasey chuckled as she looked at Ryan and Grayson with fond eyes. “It’s disgustingly adorable.”

“Better than the last relationship we dealt with,” Jeff sighed as he leaned into Riker’s side and allowed Kyler to climb into his lap as the twins walks back into the room.

“Anything is better than that guy,” Addie said in annoyance.

“We’re not starting,” Ryan breathed as he felt Grayson tense up. “No need to get anyone angry.”

“Aw, your boo just loves you so much,” Lasey sang as she reached out to poke Ryan’s nose and Grayson’s cheek. They both snuffed in annoyance and Ryan swat at Lasey’s hand.   

“His hatred of Eric started before our love,” Ryan countered.

“I beg to differ,” Lasey replied easily. “Y’all didn’t see how you acted around each other. It was ridiculous.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Grayson told her as he reached out to slap Lasey’s knee. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes as she rested her head on Katie’s shoulder.

“God, you guys are adorable,” Katie commented. “I hope to achieve this level of adorable one day.”

“Don’t wish vomit inducing adorableness on anyone, Katie. It’s rude,” Lasey told Katie.

“Nah. They’re just the next generation of Riker and Jeffry,” Addie said with a small shrug.

“Kind-of, yeah,” Jeff agreed as Riker shrugged and then nodded once. “Though, they skipped the secret sex.”

“ _Papa_ ,” Lasey and Ryan complained loudly while Riker sighed and shook his head. Grayson just stared with his eyebrows raised in shock.

“I thought you were kidding,” Grayson breathed out.

“I would never kid about this crap. We know too much about our dads’ sex lives,” Ryan sighed. Lasey and Katie both made noises of agreement.

“Granted, I also know too much about Lasey’s sex life, so there’s that,” Katie added as she leaned her head against Lasey’s. Lasey smiled innocently and rested her forehead against Katie’s shoulder.

“That’s because you’re the only one around to talk to when school is in session,” Lasey told her. Katie just smiled and rolled her eyes. Grayson snorted and shook his head.

“Oh, stop it, Gray. Your siblings are just as bad if Thanksgiving was any indication,” Ryan said as he poked Grayson’s side.

“I know. Preston is the worst, actually. In high school he bragged so much people thought that he had like, three different dates in one night. Little did they know it was just three people on one date,” Grayson breathed out. Ryan snorted with laughter and pat Grayson’s chest.

“Wait, you met his siblings over Thanksgiving?” Lasey asked as she looked between Ryan and Grayson.

“Yeah. I stayed at his place since I wasn’t gonna come home,” Ryan replied with a shrug. “Oh, _shit_! Speaking of your place!”

“Oh, god,” Grayson huffed out.

“Lasey, what page was it?” Ryan asked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Lasey huffed out a breath and simply held her hand out. Ryan smiled and placed the phone in her hand. Lasey pat his cheek briefly before she found the page she’d been on before and handed the phone back to Ryan.

“What’s going on?” Grayson asked in confusion.

“ _This_ ,” Ryan replied as he slid his phone into Grayson’s hand. Grayson’s eyes immediately widened and he looked at Ryan in shock. Ryan huffed out a breath and slumped down slightly. “It was published by Shelly Pristal. She’s probably been waiting for something ever since that fail of an interview this summer.”

“God, she was such a bitch,” Grayson huffed out.

“Oh, you don’t even know,” Riker said as he thread his fingers through Jeff’s hair while Avalon cuddled into his chest. “She likes to dig anything about this family up. There’s more than one reason why Lydia doesn’t allow Shelly Pristal on her sets.”

“Yep,” Jeff grumbled stubbornly. “Bitch went after my husband and son multiple times. If I ever get within range, her hair is getting ripped off.”

“Down, Jeffry,” Kaiden said as he reached out to pat Jeff’s knee. Jeff growled lowly and Kaiden rolled his eyes while Addie shook her head. Grayson looked between all of them in slight confusion.

“Shelly Pristal is a terrible person, Grayson. At least to this family. She dug up a lot of things about Daddy’s depression once after a relapse. Two years ago she did a lot of digging around after Ryan showed up on a set with his bruises and attempted to publicize that he had an abusive boyfriend. Luckily, Lydia got to that one in time. Shelly Pristal deserves to burn in _hell_ ,” Lasey hissed. Ryan simply nodded once and curled into Grayson’s side when Grayson tightened his arms around Ryan’s shoulders.

“That explains a lot,” Grayson whispered. Ryan just nodded once more and released a long breath.

“Wow! What an introduction to your break in the Castellan household! So upbeat!” Riker squeaked then with an exaggerated smile. Ryan, Lasey, and Katie all snorted while the twins released small giggles.

“C’mon, let’s take Hestia into the backyard,” Ryan said as he slapped a hand lightly to Grayson’s thigh. Hestia perked up at the sound of her name and barked once as she ran towards the back door. Ryan and Grayson both smiled as they shoved up from the couch to follow her.

“Don’t let her attack the tree!” Jeff called out.

“I know, Papa!” Ryan replied as he opened the door to the backyard. Hestia immediately darted out and Grayson chuckled as he followed her. Ryan smiled and closed the door behind himself before he walked up behind Grayson to wrap his arms around Grayson’s waist. Grayson turned his head slightly to smile at Ryan and Ryan smiled back before he kissed Grayson’s cheek. “You gonna be okay with us being revealed?”

“Yeah. I think it will be okay,” Grayson breathed as he turned to watch Hestia prance around the yard with her nose to the ground. “I mean, it’s not ideal that it was like this, but it was going to happen sooner or later.”

“I know,” Ryan sighed as he hooked his chin over Grayson’s shoulder. “Prepare thyself for plenty of questions at the premiere next week.”

“Ugh, I know,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan giggled and nuzzled into Grayson’s neck. Grayson made a stubborn noise and pinched Ryan’s hand. “Your nose is cold.”

“Because we’re outside,” Ryan chirped in response. Grayson snorted and turned quickly to pull Ryan into his chest and blow against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan screeched out a giggle and latched onto Grayson as Grayson continued to blow kisses across Ryan’s cheeks and neck. Grayson chuckled and dropped a kiss on Ryan’s nose when he finally stopped.

“I love you,” Grayson breathed happily. Ryan hummed and closed his eyes as they pressed their foreheads and noses together.

“I love you too,” Ryan replied simply before they kissed each other briefly.

000000

“I don’t understand how you have a queen sized bed in your childhood bedroom,” Grayson commented quietly the next morning. Ryan giggled from where he was buried beneath the covers and lifted them slightly to smile at Grayson.

“It was my first purchase after my first movie,” Ryan chirped. “I mean, I didn’t have personal access to the money, but Daddy and Papa let me buy it.”

“And you chose a queen bed…?” Grayson asked skeptically. Ryan hummed and nodded as he wiggled around beneath the blankets.

“I was really into sprawling out at the time. That and Devin and other friends tended to stay over during summers,” Ryan added. “I was really happy I made that choice first time I brought Hestia home. She was only a few months old at the time but she likes to take up as much space as possible sometimes.”

“Mmh, I know,” Grayson chuckled. “It was weird not sleeping with her in the bed as well.”

“I told you she loves Daddy and Papa,” Ryan replied as he pushed at the blanket above his head so it would slowly fall back down. Grayson snorted and shook his head as he reached down to ruffle Ryan’s hair. Ryan simply giggled and rolled over slightly to nuzzle his nose into Grayson’s side. Grayson squeaked and then giggled before he pushed at Ryan lightly.

“Stop it! You know I’m ticklish there!” Grayson protested. Ryan simply smiled widely at Grayson and scrunched up his nose. Grayson chuckled and then wormed his way down into the blankets to climb on top of Ryan. Ryan giggled and wrapped himself around Grayson as Grayson buried his face in Ryan’s neck and bit at the skin there.

“Mmh, don’t start something you won’t finish,” Ryan hummed as Grayson continued his path across Ryan’s neck. Grayson simply hummed in response and reached out to grip Ryan’s thighs that were around his waist. Ryan sighed happily and scratched lightly at Grayson’s scalp. Grayson hummed happily once more before he blew a kiss against Ryan’s neck. Ryan giggled and slapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“Lube?” Grayson asked as he pulled away from Ryan’s neck.

“Beneath the pillow,” Ryan replied. Grayson quirked one eyebrow and Ryan smiled. “I have a rotation of places because of personal reasons. It’s just in the most convenient place at the moment.”

“Mhm, sure,” Grayson chuckled even as he reached out to grab the lube. Ryan smiled again and rolled his eyes as he pinched Grayson’s shoulders.

“Stop being skeptical and do your job,” Ryan retorted. Grayson quirked an eyebrow again even as he prepared to open the lube.

“Don’t get bossy,” Grayson said.

“Like _I’m_ the bossy one in be- _oh_ ,” Ryan gasped as Grayson moved in quickly. Grayson smirked smugly and leaned in to nuzzle against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan simply took in a deep, steadying breath and grasped onto Grayson’s shoulders.

“Sure you wanna bottom right now?” Grayson asked against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan nodded and pat Grayson’s shoulder.

“You’re too loud. Family’s home. Another time,” Ryan replied quickly. Grayson made a small noise in agreement as he continued his actions, nose still pressed lightly to Ryan’s cheek.

“What if I want to make you get loud?” Grayson asked lowly. Ryan heaved out a breath then and clenched around Grayson’s fingers. Grayson’s breath caught before he grunted and shifted forward slightly. Ryan smiled triumphantly and pat Grayson’s shoulder.

“We both know it’s not likely to happen,” Ryan breathed out as he wriggled beneath Grayson. “You’ve gotta work really hard for that, babe. Hard work with no one else around.”

“Aw, you’re no fun,” Grayson chuckled as he prodded at Ryan’s prostate. Ryan took in a sharp breath before he released it slowly, nails digging into Grayson’s shoulders.

“You can’t say that when you enjoy my sexual abilities so thoroughly,” Ryan panted. Grayson simply hummed in agreement before he pulled his hand away. Ryan released a small whimper and Grayson kissed his cheek in reassurance.

“Ah, but you’re not using those abilities right now. You’re like an invalid during morning sex,” Grayson chuckled. Ryan simply smiled and nodded once before he released a long breath when Grayson moved forward.

“You like it,” Ryan whispered as he tightened his legs around Grayson’s waist. Grayson hummed in agreement and pressed their foreheads together.

“Never said I didn’t,” Grayson hummed in response as he smiled. Ryan smiled back and bumped their noses together as they panted and moved together slowly.

“God, I really love you,” Ryan huffed as his grip tightened on Grayson’s shoulders. Grayson chuckled lowly and shifted to nuzzle back into Ryan’s cheek. “You give me slow morning sex and I love it and I love you.”

“Love you too,” Grayson replied with a small chuckle as he kissed Ryan’s cheek. Ryan hummed happily then before he released a long, happy sigh. Grayson made a small hum in agreement and Ryan chuckled quietly before he caught his breath. They both sighed out groans then and Ryan moved his hands to bury his fingers in Grayson’s hair. Grayson smiled widely and balanced on one arm in order to use his free hand to run along Ryan.

Ryan keened quietly then, head thrown back. Grayson released a smug hum and buried his face in Ryan’s exposed neck as he matched the pace of his hand to the pace of his hips. Ryan heaved out a breath and clenched around Grayson, causing them both to release small groans.

“ _Baaaaby booooy_!” Artemis’ voice suddenly squealed from right outside Ryan’s bedroom.

“Oh god!” Ryan squeaked, quickly grabbing at his blankets to hold them down right before Artemis burst through his bedroom door. Grayson yelped and dove beneath the blankets to curl up as tightly as he could. Ryan winced slightly at the sudden movement but recovered quickly to shove the lube fully beneath the covers. Artemis released a small squeak as she stared at Ryan with wide eyes.

“Oh. Oh my god,” Artemis giggled.

“ _Martie_ ,” Ryan hissed in annoyance. Artemis giggled even more and jumped in place slightly. Grayson remained firmly beneath the blankets, curled up on top of Ryan’s legs.

“And you wonder where Caron gets it from,” Lasey scoffed as she walked by and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“What?” Caron called out from downstairs.

“Nothing, Car!” Artemis replied before she turned back to Ryan with an excited expression. Ryan stared back stubbornly, eyes narrowed.

“I swear, if you don’t leave right now…” Ryan started. Artemis scoffed and waved a hand in Ryan’s direction.

“You’re just as bad as your dads all the times I walked in on them,” Artemis said.

“Yeah, well, you’d already _known_ them when that happened. _Leave_ ,” Ryan told her.

“God dammit, Artemis! Get your ass back down here and leave them alone! Grayson hasn’t even met you yet! Jesus. Get some freakin’ manners,” Jeff exclaimed. Artemis sighed and rolled her eyes before she left and pulled the door closed behind her.

Once the door clicked shut, Grayson peeked up at Ryan with wide, panicked eyes. Ryan sighed and pushed the blankets off of them and placed his hands on Grayson’s cheeks. Grayson made a small noise and Ryan gave him a small, reassuring smile as he pulled Grayson closer.

“I know you’re horrified, but it could have been worse,” Ryan cooed.

“ _Worse_? How could it be _worse_ than your biological mother walking in on us having sex?” Grayson hissed dramatically.

“You could’ve been bottoming,” Ryan replied nonchalantly with a shrug. Grayson growled then and pushed Ryan back into the bed to bite at his neck. Ryan squeaked out a giggle and hugged Grayson tightly.

“You’re the worst,” Grayson added. Ryan giggled and blew a kiss against Grayson’s neck.

“Yep. Now, c’mon. Let’s get dressed,” Ryan said as he pat Grayson’s shoulder before he wormed his way out from beneath Grayson.

“Do we have to?” Grayson asked as he watched Ryan.

“Mhm,” Ryan replied. “We both definitely need to brush our teeth and the bathroom is down the hall. Clothes are needed. I have toddler siblings.”

“You make a good point,” Grayson sighed before he pushed up from the bed. Ryan hummed in agreement and pecked Grayson on the lips before he handed sweats to Grayson. Grayson kissed Ryan’s cheek in thanks before they both got dressed and then walked down the hall to the bathroom.

“I hope you know Martie is giggling her ass off downstairs,” Lasey cackled as she walked into the bathroom to brush her hair. Ryan flipped Lasey off as he began to brush his teeth while Grayson blushed furiously. Ryan smiled at Grayson and bumped their hips together. “I don’t think you two will live this down for a while.”

“God, shut up,” Ryan told her before he rinsed his mouth out. “You’re just happy because this means she’ll stop talking about catching you and Dev.”

“Right you are, little brother,” Lasey chirped with an innocent smile.

“Though, they did catch you riding Devin furiously. We were nowhere near as bad,” Ryan added with a shrug after he rinsed out his mouth. Lasey made a stubborn noise then and slumped her shoulders.

“Can we just not talk about this?” Grayson asked as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Oh, babe,” Ryan crooned. “You have so much to learn. Just accept it and I’ll make sure the door is locked next time.”

“That honestly does not make me feel any better,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan shrugged and then kissed Grayson lightly before leading Grayson downstairs.

“Ryan!” Caron immediately exclaimed.

“Hey, Car!” Ryan replied as he released Grayson’s hand in order to catch the twelve year old as she flung herself at him. Caron giggled and latched onto Ryan tightly like a koala. Ryan smiled and kissed her cheeks. Caron hummed happily and then turned her gaze to Grayson, who immediately froze with wide eyes. Ryan pinched Caron’s sides and bumped his forehead into her cheek. “What did I tell you on the phone?”

“No intimidation tactics,” Caron replied with a long, suffering sigh.

“Atta girl,” Ryan chuckled as he kissed her cheek and then placed her on her feet. Caron just crossed her arms over her chest and inspected Grayson. Ryan ruffled her hair and then turned to smile at Grayson. “Gray, this is my younger half-sister, Caron. Car, this is my boyfriend Grayson. You are not to harm or prank him during his time here. He is not accustomed to your insanity like Devin is.”

“God, so lame. How else am I supposed to determine if he’s not an asshole?” Caron asked as she looked up at Ryan with a stubborn expression.

“Caron, honestly,” Jay sighed in exasperation as he walked up and placed a hand on Caron’s head. Jay turned to smile at Grayson then. “Hello, Grayson. I’m Jay and I thoroughly apologize for anything my significant other and daughter may do in your presence over the duration of your time here.”

“You make me sound like a child, Jay,” Artemis pouted as she popped up at Jay’s shoulder. “And, lovely to meet you when you’re not having sex with my son!”

“Artemis,” Ryan growled as he fixed her with a glare. Artemis simply smiled and shrugged at Ryan before returning her attention to Grayson.

“In all honesty, though? It is actually really nice to meet you. We’ve only heard good things about you from everyone you’ve met so far,” Artemis hummed as she pressed her cheek to Jay’s arm.

“I withhold my opinion for now,” Caron said as she continued to inspect Grayson with a tilted head. “I mean, I know Luca likes you, but you still have to pass _my_ judgment. I can already say you’re heaps better than Eric, though.”

“Thank you. That’s always a good thing to hear as I never intend to be as big of an asshole as Eric,” Grayson said with a small nod. Caron smiled widely then and gave Grayson a single nod.

“You’re okay, kid,” she added before she strut off with her nose in the air. Grayson stared after her with raised eyebrows and pointed vaguely.

“Don’t worry about it, Gray, she calls everyone _kid_. Any _way_ , these are Jay and Artemis. As you know, Artemis is my bio mom. Guys, this is Grayson,” Ryan introduced. Grayson smiled shyly and gave a small wave. Jay smiled in response while Artemis giggled and scrunched her nose up.

“Artemis, don’t get all in a tizzy. You’ve just met him. He’s going to have enough to deal with when Mom gets here,” Riker scolded as he walked by with the twins on his hips. Artemis pouted dramatically then as she looked back at Riker, who gave her a warning look. “You already burst into Ryan’s room unannounced, don’t be a dick.”

“God, you’re the worst. Go back to breaking chairs and showers30,” Artemis heaved out.

“No more unnecessary breaking of furniture,” Jeff commented as he walked by with a stack of papers in hand.

“Last I checked, it was partially _your_ fault things got broken, Jeffry,” Artemis retorted. Jeff looked up at Artemis with a raised eyebrow then and blinked.

“We are not to talk about the happenings of our first solo apartment,” Jeff finally said.

“Ugh, you guys are _gross_ ,” Lasey grumbled as she collapsed onto the couch and rested her head lightly on Hestia’s side. Ryan grunted in agreement as he and Grayson slid to the floor and leaned together.

“Says the one who was caught riding her boyfriend’s dick into the next millennia,” Artemis snorted.

“I thought we were over this!” Lasey exclaimed dramatically while Ryan giggled and Grayson stared with wide eyes.

“You’re never living that down, Lasey,” Riker told her as he dropped the twins onto the couch while they giggled. “While Jeff and I got caught doing a lot of things, it was never by any of our parents.”

“God, I hate this family,” Lasey grumbled as she curled up on the couch stubbornly.        

“You can’t blame anyone but you and Devin,” Caron commented with a shrug.

“Aw, I knew I liked you for a reason, you little demon,” Ryan chuckled as he pulled Caron into his lap. She hummed primly and settled into Ryan’s lap.

“Meeting your family explains so much,” Grayson breathed. Ryan giggled and hugged Caron to his chest tightly as he leaned into Grayson’s side. Caron giggled as well and peeked up at Grayson.

“You’re so innocent, aren’t you?” Caron asked as she blinked at Grayson, who immediately flushed.

“He is, and you are not to be mean about it,” Ryan whispered into Caron’s ear. Caron scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“But I make fun of Luca for masturbating,” Caron countered with a pout. Riker, Jeff, Artemis, Jay, and Lasey all snorted with laughter. Ryan smiled and shook his head while Grayson pressed his lips together to prevent laughing.

“Yes, but you’ve known Luca for your entire life. You’ve known Gray for all of five minutes,” Ryan told her. Caron sighed heavily and then nodded once.

“I promise I won’t make fun,” Caron said quietly. “Can’t promise with Luca, though. He gets way too flustered about it and it’s hilarious.”

“You truly are your mother’s daughter, Car,” Jeff told her with a sigh.

“Well, duh. That and I’ve caught Luca,” Caron said with a small shrug.

“ _What_?” Lasey exclaimed gleefully then. “When?”

“For the first time? Last summer. He’s not very good at being secretive,” Caron replied nonchalantly.

“First time?” Lasey asked with a giggle.

“Wait, you’ve never caught Luca?” Ryan asked as he turned to look at Lasey.

“No!” Lasey squeaked. “You have?”

“I think we all have, to be honest. Like Caron said, he’s not good at being secretive,” Jay said. “Leon is quite ignorant. He was commenting on Luca’s shower length getting longer and how he was confused and Jude just gave him a deadpan look.”

“Oh, Leon,” Riker chuckled as he shook his head.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe I’m the one who hasn’t caught Luca. I’m always over at their place,” Lasey huffed out.

“I can’t believe it either,” Ryan chuckled. “Especially since you had a knack for catching me in middle school.”

“It was a talent,” Lasey replied with a shrug. Grayson chuckled and tipped his head into Ryan’s.

“Don’t laugh at me, jerk. At least I’m not _loud_ ,” Ryan said. Grayson made an offended noise and poked Ryan in the side. Ryan squeaked and jabbed back at Grayson, who chuckled and wrapped an arm around Ryan’s shoulders.

“You’re not allowed to make fun,” Grayson whispered into Ryan’s ear. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes before he turned to kiss Grayson’s cheek.

“Oh, honey. You know I’m always allowed to make fun,” Ryan added as he pat Grayson’s knee. “It’s part of the job description.”

“God, I don’t know why I love you,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan smiled brightly and scrunched up his nose at Grayson.

“Because I’m _adorable_ ,” Ryan crooned. Grayson quirked an eyebrow at Ryan and then shook his head.

“That’s why you like to think, baby brother,” Lasey snorted. “In truth you’re an annoying piece of crap.”

“Aw, thanks, Lase. That means so much to me,” Ryan sighed happily as he looked back to bat his eyelashes at her. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes as she reached out to shove Ryan’s head lightly. Ryan smiled and then turned to look at Riker and Jeff.

“When’re Gramma and Drew supposed to get here?” Ryan asked.

“Uh, in a bit. Mom said they had to get something on their way over,” Riker replied.

“Mkay! We’re gonna go to the back up to my room, then!” Ryan chirped as he nudged Caron out of his lap and then got up.

“Be responsible,” Jeff commented airily as he walked into the kitchen. Ryan rolled his eyes and waved a hand in Jeff’s direction before he helped Grayson up from the floor. Grayson blushed and followed Ryan easily.

“Hesty, come!” Ryan chirped. Hestia immediately leapt happily off the couch and bound up the stairs ahead of Ryan and Grayson. Ryan smiled and pat her butt lightly as they reached the top of the stairs. Grayson chuckled and placed a hand on the small of Ryan’s back. Ryan smiled back at Grayson and walked into his room to collapse onto his bed. Grayson followed suit and Ryan giggled as he pulled his laptop onto the bed in front of him as Hestia settled in on his free side.

“What’s the plan?” Grayson asked as he hooked his chin over Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan shrugged as he logged onto his computer.

“Just click around the internet,” Ryan added as he logged onto Facebook.

“What an exciting life,” Grayson deadpanned. Ryan snorted and rolled his eyes and then clicked on his notifications. He saw Devin had posted a picture and clicked on it. Ryan immediately released a giggle as he saw the picture. Grayson made an interested noise and looked at the picture.  In it, Ryan and Devin were piled together with a few others, [gym mats](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/6768120708) beneath each person. Devin had uploaded it with the caption _This showed up in my memory page today. Can’t believe it’s been three years since out last first Midnight Swallows performance_.

“Damn, the memories that go with his picture,” Ryan chuckled as he looked between all of their laughing faces in the picture.

“Who are the other two people?” Grayson asked as he pointed at them. Ryan hummed and looked back at the picture.

“Those are Isaac and Christy. They were our partners in crime in high school,” Ryan replied. “You might get to meet them while you’re here. It depends on their plans.”

“Mmh, mkay,” Grayson sighed. Ryan just smiled and kissed Grayson’s cheek before he clicked onto his page to start going through older pictures. Ryan clicked on a picture from freshman year of college where he and Isaac were sitting on his dorm bed, legs tangled together as they both read books.

“Isaac used to visit us a lot freshman year because he took a year off. People thought he was our illegal third roommate,” Ryan chuckled as continued to scroll through pictures.

“Wow, I forgot how young Hayden looked freshman year,” Grayson breathed as Ryan came to a stop of himself and Hayden sitting on the theater stage.

“It’s the long hair,” Ryan commented as he moved his mouse over Hayden’s hair swept over her shoulder. Grayson shrugged and made a small noise of agreement. “Honestly, though. Anything is better than when I buzzed my hair off.”

“ _What_?” Grayson squeaked with delight as he looked at Ryan excitedly. Ryan heaved out a sigh and then clicked through pictures until he found one from when he’d had his buzz cut. In the picture, Ryan was sitting in the middle of his dorm room floor with a small smile on his face, fading bruises around his right eye and left cheek. Grayson giggled at the sight of Ryan with practically no hair and bumped their shoulders together.

“Oh, _hush_. I need change desperately then and I drunkenly told Devin to shave my hair off,” Ryan said defensively. Grayson chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“It’s cute,” Grayson added. Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved at Grayson’s cheek.

“It totally wasn’t. What _was_ cute was Hestia when I got her,” Ryan said as he clicked through more pictures and then came to a stop on a picture from the day he got Hestia. In the picture, Ryan was standing in the middle of the living room of his apartment with Hestia held in front of him. A few torn tissues hung from Hestia’s mouth while the rest of the destroyed tissues were littered around Ryan.

“Aw, baby Hesty,” Grayson cooed as he looked at the picture. Ryan hummed in agreement and ruffled Hestia’s ears when she looked up at the sound of her name.

“You’re my good girl, huh, Hesty?” Ryan asked as he pressed kisses to the top of her head. “Yeah. You get into trouble sometimes but you’re my good girl. Best impulse decision I’ve ever made, mhm.”

“What triggered your impulse to get her?” Grayson asked then even as he continued to click through pictures on Ryan’s Facebook slowly.

“Eric called me drunk one night so I decided to get a dog rather than do something even stupider,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Grayson made a small, annoyed noise. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and rested his head against Grayson’s shoulder.

“All those pictures with the bruises were from him, weren’t they?” Grayson asked as he rested his head against Ryan’s.

“Yeah,” Ryan sighed out. “It wasn’t a good time. A lot of people asked me about the bruises and such. That was also one of the reasons why I kicked my ass into gear to get an apartment off campus.”

“I don’t blame you,” Grayson said. Ryan hummed in agreement and then moved his computer away to turn into Grayson’s chest. Grayson hummed happily and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan giggled quietly and nuzzled into Grayson’s neck.

“You’re adorable when you get protective,” Ryan mumbled into Grayson’s neck. Grayson made a small noise and squeezed Ryan’s shoulders.

“What if I say you’re adorable all the time?” Grayson asked. Ryan giggled and lifted his head to look Grayson in the eye.

“You’d get a nice kiss,” Ryan replied before he pressed their lips together. Grayson smiled against Ryan’s lips. Ryan smiled back and then pulled away slightly to dart his tongue out against Grayson’s nose. Grayson laughed and blew a loud kiss against Ryan’s cheek as he tangled their legs together. Ryan screeched slightly and pushed at Grayson feebly.

“No escape, no escape!” Grayson chanted as he held onto Ryan tightly. Ryan laughed hysterically and wriggled against Grayson.

“I shall escape!” Ryan added as he continued to wriggle and then wormed his way out of Grayson’s grip to topple off of the bed. Grayson barked out a laugh as Ryan hit the floor and then began crawling away. Hestia chuffed out a small bark and leapt off of the bed to trot after Ryan to stick her nose in his face. Ryan squawked indignantly and pushed at Hestia’s muzzle as she attempted to lick his face.

“Get him, Hesty!” Grayson encouraged as he clapped.

“No! Hestia!” Ryan complained as Hestia licked his face enthusiastically and then pushed him onto his back. She stood over Ryan then and continued to lick his face while her tail wagged madly. Grayson just laughed and pat Hestia’s back fondly.

“Ryan!” a voice suddenly squeaked. Ryan smiled widely then and tipped his head back to look at his doorway to see two kids standing there. Hestia paused as well and cocked her head at the two kids in confusion.

“Wow! Look at you guys!” Ryan exclaimed as he sat up and opened his arm to the two kids. They both laughed and launched themselves into Ryan’s lap to hug him. “You’ve gotten so big!”

“It has been two years,” the boy chuckled. Ryan snorted and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Tone down the sass, Tanc,” Ryan chastised while the girl giggled and hugged herself to Ryan’s chest. “Isn’t it your job to keep him in check, Cassie?”

“No. It’s my job to annoy him,” Cassie giggled with a smirk. “Tancred’s older. It’s _his_ job to keep _me_ in check.”

“It’s a hard job,” Tancred whispered loudly. Cassie stuck her tongue out at Tancred then and he did the same in response. Ryan chuckled and ruffled both their hair before he turned to look at Grayson, who was looking back with a fond smile.

“These are Tancred and Cassie. They’re Drew’s grandkids and I’m guessing they and their father are why Gramma and Drew were running late. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Grayson,” Ryan said as he indicated each of them.

“Hi!” Tancred and Cassie chirped enthusiastically.

“Hello,” Grayson chuckled in response as he began to scratch at Hestia’s head since she’d been nudging at his hands.

“When’d you get a puppy?” Cassie asked as she crawled out of Ryan’s lap to crawl towards Hestia.

“About two years ago,” Ryan replied as he watched Hestia sniff at Cassie’s face cautiously before licking Cassie’s cheek. Cassie giggled happily and sat back before she reached out to pet Hestia.

“What kind of dog is she?” Tancred asked as he followed after his younger sister.

“She’s a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,” Ryan answered as he got up to sit back down on his bed next to Grayson.

“Does she chase ducks?” Cassie asked as she blinked up at Ryan.

“When I let her,” Ryan replied with a small shrug. “She’s more of a fan of chasing people, though.”

“Yep,” Grayson chuckled in agreement as he tapped Hestia’s muzzle. Hestia huffed out a breath and gently bit Grayson’s fingers. Grayson smiled and grabbed her tongue briefly before he pulled his hand away.

“Hey! Riker said to come downstairs,” Caron chirped as she poked her head into Ryan’s room.

“ _Never_!” Cassie squeaked as she got up and began to run away. Caron barked out a laugh and easily caught the four year old around her middle. Cassie squeaked and then giggled as she went limp in Caron’s arms.

“You did it to yourself,” Tancred commented as he pushed up from the floor while Caron grunted with Cassie’s weight.

“Oh hush,” Caron replied. Ryan just smiled and walked over to pull Cassie out of Caron’s arms.

“Come along, children,” Ryan added as he headed downstairs, Hestia ahead of him.

“I’m not a child!” Caron protested.

“You’re twelve. You’re a child,” Ryan told her as he gave her a sarcastic look. Caron rolled her arms and darted ahead of Ryan. Hestia barked in excitement and trotted after Caron, tail held high in the air.

“Your dog is weird,” Tancred said.

“I know,” Ryan agreed as he reached the bottom of the stairs and placed Cassie on her feet. She giggled and took off after Caron and Hestia immediately. Tancred made a stubborn noise and followed after his sister, tapping her head as he passed. Grayson snorted as he watched them and Ryan smiled back at him.

“How old are they?” Grayson asked as he accepted the hand Ryan held out for him.

“Tancred is seven. Cassie’s four,” Ryan replied as he led them towards the living room where he heard Drew’s booming laugh.

“Baby boy!” Miri exclaimed with glee as she saw Ryan. Ryan smiled and walked over to hug Miri and kiss her cheek.

“Hi, Gramma,” Ryan hummed. Miri laughed and pat Ryan’s cheek lovingly. Drew laughed and then pulled Ryan into a rough hug.

“You look like you’re doing well,” Drew chuckled as he ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“As good as I can be,” Ryan replied with a smile.

“Hell of a lot better than last time I saw you then, I hope,” Wes said as he walked up to Ryan. Ryan smiled widely and nodded before he was enveloped in a tight hug.

“Heaps better,” Ryan replied.

“Yeah. All bruises he may have now are just hickies,” Lasey cackled from her spot on the couch. Ryan shot her a glare then and Lasey smiled innocently. Wes snorted and clapped Ryan’s shoulder while Ryan continued to glare at Lasey.

“So I’ve heard,” Wes added as he looked down at Ryan. Ryan rolled his eyes and then gestured towards Grayson.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend, Grayson. Gray, that’s my Gramma, Drew, and Wes,” Ryan indicated. Grayson smiled and waved at them and Lasey giggled before she pulled Grayson onto the couch with her.

“You really gotta loosen up with our family, dude. I thought you’d realized that by now,” Lasey said.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to be a heathen like you, baby girl,” Artemis told Lasey with a shrug. Lasey rolled her eyes and reached out one leg to poke Artemis with her toes. Wes snorted and then sat down across from Grayson.

“So, you met Ryan on a movie set?” Wes asked.

“Yeah,” Grayson replied. “I somehow got hired for the movie and we met on the first day of set.”

“Must’ve been interesting,” Wes said. “Ryan’s quite the character.”

“I’m a right prince, Wesley,” Ryan grunted as he draped himself across Wes’ back and wrapped his arms around Wes’ neck. Wes chuckled and pat Ryan’s arms.

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night,” Wes added.

“A lot of things help me sleep at night,” Ryan hummed with a small shrug.

“Shut up, dude. I’ve known you for your entire life. I have plenty of blackmail on you,” Wes said as he looked back at Ryan with a quirked eyebrow.

“Whatever, man. It’s not like I care. Grayson’s seen me buzzed. Doesn’t get much worse than that,” Ryan replied. Grayson made a small noise of agreement.

“He’s also been buzzed around my siblings,” Grayson added. Miri sighed and shook her head.

“Oh, stop being so dramatic, Gramma. It’s not like Ryan gets drunk all the time. I know of _three_ times this semester. Two of those times were justified drinking situations,” Lasey informed Miri. Ryan and Grayson both nodded in agreement.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Miri retorted.

“Mom, we were _terrible_ back in high school and you never minded,” Riker said as he looked at her. “I strictly remember you simply telling us to be safe as we walked to Carter’s while all buzzed.”

“Oh, that night,” Jeff breathed happily.

“Most of the time I had no control as you were away at Westtown,” Miri huffed out stubbornly. Riker and Jeff both rolled their eyes while Artemis, Jay, Drew, and Wes chuckled.

“At least they drink in safe spaces, hon,” Drew said as he placed a hand on Miri’s shoulder.

“Yeah, wow. How dare anyone ever get drunk while walking through their college town at two in the morning,” Wes chuckled.

“Wesley, that was _you_ who did that,” Drew said. Wes smiled brightly then and nodded once.

“I know,” he added. “And it was great fun. Shay and Tanner were worse.”

“God, I know,” Drew sighed as he shook his head. “At least none of you died.”

“That’s the way to look at it, Dad!” Wes replied brightly. Ryan chuckled and rested his chin on top of Wes’ head.

“See, Gramma? At least I don’t do that. I stay in my apartment to get drunk,” Ryan added. Miri simply sighed and shook her head while Lasey and Grayson snorted with laughter.

“Yeah. Our kids get drunk in safe places and don’t go out. We taught them well,” Riker said with a bright smile.

“Ryan is still underage. That’s not smart,” Wes countered.

“Ah, but it is unrealistic to think that he won’t drink underage,” Jeff replied as he pointed at Wes. “We’re not stupid. We sent our kids to Westtown. We know how things work there.”

“Yeah. Shay’s hoping the twins don’t go there because she sees how things go there,” Wes chuckled. Riker and Jeff both rolled their eyes while Lasey and Ryan smiled.

“One, that is up to the beans if they want to go there. Two, Shay can deal with it,” Riker said. “If she cared so much she would actually have her own kids.”

“God, no. Shay wouldn’t be good with her own kids,” Drew breathed. “Her carrying the twins is about as much as she could handle.”

“So true,” Lasey agreed. “She was happy to hand the beans over once they were born.”

“That she was,” Jeff hummed as he reached out to ruffle Lasey’s hair. “Now, we have to go get stuff for Christmas. Don’t destroy the house.”

“Yes, Papa,” Ryan and Lasey deadpanned.

“Caron! C’mon, time to go home!” Jay called out.

“Ugh, party poopers!” Caron called out as she ran back into the living room with Tancred, Cassie, Avalon, and Kyler following behind her.

“Oh man, I know. How terrible that we must leave the Castellan household,” Artemis said sarcastically. Caron smiled and rolled her eyes as she skipped over to pull her shoes and jacket on.

“Bye, Ca!” Avalon giggled as she waved and then toppled into Lasey’s lap. Lasey grunted as Avalon barreled into her and then shifted the toddler.

“Bye, Avie,” Caron replied with a smile and a wave.

“It was nice to meet you, Grayson. I’m sure we’ll see you again before you leave,” Jay said with a smile.

“Same to you,” Grayson replied as he pulled Kyler into his lap as Kyler reached for him.

“Okay, we’re leaving now. Seriously, don’t destroy anything,” Riker said as he, Jeff, Miri, and Drew pulled their shoes and coats on.

“I promise to make sure everything is utterly and completely destroyed upon your return,” Wes said as he beamed over at them. Tancred and Cassie both giggled and hugged Wes’ legs. Riker smiled and rolled his eyes before they left.

“So, what’s been going on the past two years?” Ryan asked as he walked over to the couch to sit next to Grayson. Wes shrugged as he pushed Tancred’s bangs out of his face.

“Not much, really. As you know, we moved. So back then it was mostly getting these two settled into their new school. Other than that, life has been pretty generic,” Wes added.

“Yeah. We have lots of friends now,” Cassie informed Ryan.

“Oo, that’s a good thing,” Lasey chirped as she braided Avalon’s hair.

“Uh huh,” Tancred agreed as he climbed up onto the couch to curl into Ryan’s side. Ryan smiled and tugged Tancred closer. “I like our house. Just big enough for us. No more extra space and no more living with Uncle Tanner.”

“That’s always a good thing,” Ryan hummed as he shifted Tancred into his lap since Hestia had jumped onto the couch.

“So, when did you acquire a dog?” Wes asked as he scooped Cassie up to go and sit down on the armchair with Cassie in his lap.

“Spring of my freshman year,” Ryan replied as she reached out to scratch Hestia’s head. “She’s been a good companion.”

“How’d you get away with a dog in the dorm?” Wes asked.

“I didn’t live in a dorm. I bought my apartment during winter break of freshman year so I could move off campus,” Ryan replied. “I live there with Devin and Hayden.”

“And Grayson. Grayson practically lives there,” Lasey cackled. Ryan and Grayson both glared in her direction and she simply giggled. “Dev keeps me updated. Half a dresser is now yours, Grayson. That’s more than what Devin has here.”

“Aw, that’s _adorable_ ,” Wes crooned. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Wes off. “Well, that’s rude.”

“You’re rude,” Ryan grumbled in response. Grayson chuckled and leaned over to rest his forehead against Ryan’s shoulder.

“Everyone rude,” Kyler giggled as he reached up to pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson smiled and nodded in agreement as he pretended to bite at Kyler’s fingers. Kyler squealed out a giggle and then scrambled out of Grayson’s lap. “You’ll never get me!”

“Never taken alive!” Avalon bugled as she quickly followed after her brother, one fist held in the air. Cassie giggled and then took off after the twins.

“You shall get taken alive!” Cassie added.

“Not if I get ‘em first!” Tancred exclaimed as he scrambled out of Ryan’s lap to follow the other three.

“Don’t injure each other!” Lasey called out in a bored voice. Avalon and Kyler simply squealed in response while Tancred and Cassie laughed. Wes smiled as he watched his kids and shook his head.

“Like you and Ry don’t injure each other?” Grayson asked with a snort. Lasey looked over at Grayson sarcastically and then pinched his arm.

“Don’t be a smartass,” Lasey added.

“I’m the youngest of four. It’s in my blood,” Grayson replied with a shrug. Then, he turned to look at Wes. “So, how exactly are you connected to this insane family?”

“Oh, Drew? My dad? He’s basically married to Ry and Lase’s grandma,” Wes replied. “They’ve been together since the year before Ryan was born. They just didn’t want to actually get married.”

“Yeah. I’ve never known a life without Drew,” Ryan breathed out.

“I mean, I really don’t either since I was only, like, one,” Lasey commented. Wes hummed in agreement. “A lot of things have changed since then, though.”

“Tell me about it,” Wes snorted as he watched Cassie and Tancred sneaking by to try and surprise the twins. Ryan and Lasey both smiled as they watched the kids as well.

“You’ve done really well with them by yourself, though,” Ryan said quietly as they watched Tancred tap Cassie’s head gently before they both snuck off down the hallway. Lasey hummed in agreement as she slouched down in her seat, not caring as she draped her legs across both Grayson’s and Ryan’s laps.

“Lord knows I wouldn’t be doing as well as you as a single parent,” Lasey grunted. Ryan nodded in agreement as he pulled lightly at Lasey’s toes.

“Where’s their mom, if you don’t mind me asking?” Grayson asked as he inspected Wes, who heaved out a sigh.

“She left me a bit before Cas was born. She wouldn’t let me see the kids at all for a while, but then she decided she didn’t want them at all. I don’t mind having full custody. I’d rather them be in a good place than with a parent who doesn’t pay attention to them,” Wes told Grayson. “Sometimes Tanc gets real upset about it since he was nearly three at the time and has vague memories. He does well, though.”

“Yeah, he seems like a good kid,” Grayson commented as they watched Tancred crawl quickly through the room with Avalon on his back while she giggled.

“He is. He used to send me colorings at school when I lived in the dorm,” Ryan chuckled.

“Yep,” Lasey giggled in agreement. “It was like the best day of the month when it got there.”

“He was so proud of those colorings,” Wes laughed. “He would always show them to me before we put them in the envelopes.”

“That’s adorable,” Grayson said. Ryan and Lasey both hummed in agreement.

“Ry! Grayson! C’mon! Sword fights!” Avalon squeaked as she darted into the room with an excited expression.

“Oo, let’s go!” Grayson exclaimed as he got up and jumped over to scoop Avalon up. Ryan chuckled and easily followed, waving to Lasey and Wes as they both smiled and shook their heads.

000000

“Ry. _Ryan_ , wake up,” Grayson whispered urgently as he shook Ryan’s shoulder lightly. Ryan grumbled in annoyance and shoved at Grayson blindly. “ _Ryan Arthur_.”

“Whaaaa?” Ryan asked through a yawn without pulling his head up from his pillow.

“There is a cat staring at us,” Grayson whispered. Ryan snorted and shifted to get more comfortable.

“Jus’ S’moa,” Ryan mumbled into his pillow as he stretched his legs out only to come into contact with something solid that he assumed was Samoa.

“It’s staring into _my soul_ ,” Grayson hissed with an edge of unease in his voice. Ryan heaved out a sigh then and forced himself to roll over. He looked down at the foot of his bed then to see Samoa sitting there like a statue with unblinking eyes.

“Moa, stop being rude,” Ryan yawned. Samoa turned her gaze to Ryan then before she got up and flicked her tail as he climbed onto Ryan’s legs. Ryan smiled lazily and lifted his hand up for Samoa to nuzzle into. Grayson just watched with a skeptical expression, leaning away from Ryan slightly. Ryan snorted and looked up at Grayson as he scratched between Samoa’s ears. “Are you afraid of cats, or something?”

“No, but she has a very piercing stare,” Grayson replied. Ryan simply hummed in agreement and leaned up to kiss the top of Samoa’s head.

“She likes to intimidate people. Hestia was scared shitless of Samoa when they first met,” Ryan told Grayson as Samoa sprawled across his chest. “Braxton taught her well in the few months they knew each other.”

“Braxton…?” Grayson asked.

“Daddy’s old cat. He died when I was nearly seven. If you ever want to hear Papa bitch about a cat, ask him about Braxton31,” Ryan chuckled as he scratched Samoa’s sides.

“Was he a bad cat?” Grayson asked as he tentatively held a hand out for Samoa to sniff.

“No. Braxton just didn’t like to share Daddy with Papa. I heard from Aunt Kamryn and Uncle Macen that Papa once asked Braxton for permission to cuddle Daddy. Apparently Braxton could get very nasty and possessive sometimes,” Ryan said as he watched Samoa sniff Grayson’s hand and then bump her head lightly into it.

“Aw, are you talking about Braxton?” Lasey giggled as she skipped into the room and dropped onto Ryan’s bed. Hestia followed soon after, tail wagging once before she settled down. Samoa released a small chirrup and pounced off of Ryan’s abdomen to settle on top of Hestia’s back.

“Yeah. I was saying how Samoa learned her intimidation tactics from him,” Ryan replied as he shifted closer into Grayson’s side. Lasey giggled and curled up at the end of Ryan’s bed with Hestia and Samoa.

“She totally did,” Lasey agreed as she reached out to scratch Samoa’s head. “Papa hates it.”

“Mhm,” Ryan giggled as Grayson shook his head. Lasey turned her gaze to Grayson then and smiled widely.

“You ready for your first movie premiere?” she asked in delight. Grayson shrugged and reached up to thread his fingers through Ryan’s hair.

“I guess,” Grayson added. “Is it really that great of an experience?”

“More like annoying,” Ryan informed. “Gotta stand there and get your picture taken. Then you’ve gotta get through all the interviewers. Then some more press. It’s just tiring.”

“Wow, you make it sound so fun, babe,” Grayson chuckled as he tugged Ryan to his side and blew into Ryan’s neck. Ryan giggled and shoved back at Grayson.

“I never claimed it to be fun,” Ryan added as Lasey watched them with an amused expression. Grayson simply snorted and pressed a loud kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“Morning!” Tancred exclaimed then as he bound into the room with Avalon clutching to his back as she giggled.

“Morning, Tanc,” Ryan and Lasey replied.

“Daddy say wake up!” Avalon squeaked as she climbed off of Tancred’s back and onto the bed.

“We are awake,” Ryan told her as he sat up and pulled her into his lap. Avalon giggled and settled into Ryan’s lap.

“Daddy don’t know that,” Avalon added as Grayson smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Dad said you guys have some thingy today,” Tancred chirped as he climbed onto the bed and flopped on top of Lasey.

“Yeah. Their movie premiere is tonight,” Lasey told him. “You’re gonna stay here with Daddy, Papa, and your Dad to watch on TV.”

“You’re going too?” Tancred asked as he tucked his chin over Lasey’s shoulder.

“Mhm. Dev worked on the movie so I’m going with him,” Lasey answered.

“Damn, didn’t realize I’d have to deal with _you_ too,” Grayson huffed out dramatically. Lasey made a face and pushed at Grayson’s foot while Ryan snorted with laughter.

“Maybe I don’t like you,” Lasey added. Grayson just smiled and reached out to flick Lasey’s nose.

“Don’t tell lies in front of the children, Lasey,” Grayson told her. Lasey smiled and rolled her eyes then.

“At least you’re acclimating yourself,” she hummed. Grayson shrugged and slouched down slightly as Avalon climbed into his lap.

“I spent most of my summer in Ryan’s apartment with him, Devin, and Hayden. It’s hard not to,” Grayson added as he hugged Avalon to his chest. Avalon hummed happily and leaned her head into his bicep.

“Nah. My apartment is different than our family as a whole,” Ryan said as he shifted to place his head in Grayson’s lap next to Avalon’s legs. Lasey made a noise in agreement as Tancred draped himself over her side.

“Yeah, I mean, you should know that solely based on your introduction to Martie,” Lasey giggled. Grayson blushed furiously and Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Gray doesn’t like to talk about it,” Ryan breathed as he finally pushed out of the bed and reached over to pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson made a face at Ryan, who smiled innocently as he flit over to his dresser to pull out clothes.

“Better get used to it, Grayson. It won’t be the last time something like that happens. Our family has no boundaries,” Lasey sighed out. Ryan hummed in agreement as he pulled a shirt on over his head.

“Aunt Alyssa and Aunt Lily are the worst, though,” Ryan added. Lasey made a small noise and nodded. Lasey looked over at Grayson then and smirked.

“You better prepare yourself. Daddy’s siblings and a bunch of their high school friends will be here when we get back,” Lasey said. Grayson heaved out a sigh and sagged back against the pillows. Avalon giggled and reached up to pat Grayson’s cheek.

“You survive. You do well,” Avalon chirped at him before she wiggled out of his lap to skip out of the room, calling for Kyler and Cassie. Tancred chuckled and followed after Avalon quickly, nearly tripping on his way out of the room.

“I mean, you _will_ survive. You’ll just have to endure plenty of awkwardness. Sorry, babe,” Ryan said as he crouched down on his bed to kiss Grayson’s cheek. Grayson sighed and rolled his eyes before he smiled and kissed Ryan’s cheek as well.

“Just make sure you’re not having sex when everyone gets here,” Lasey giggled as she got up to skip out of the room.

“Hark who’s talking!” Ryan called after her. Lasey just laughed again before they heard her bedroom door shut. Grayson watched with a raised eyebrow and looked at Ryan. Ryan shook his head slightly and pushed back up off the bed. “Don’t worry about it. First off, they will be here before us, and two, I have a lock on my door _and_ bathroom.”

“Wow. So comforting,” Grayson deadpanned as he gave Ryan a sarcastic expression. Ryan giggled and leaned over to nip at Grayson’s neck.

“Don’t even try and convince me you don’t want to have sex in this room. It is my childhood bedroom. I know you do. I also know in some weird way that you want to erase Eric,” Ryan hummed. Grayson made a small, growled noise and pulled Ryan into his lap roughly and bit at Ryan’s neck. Ryan squeaked out giggles and attempted to pull out of Grayson’s arms. Grayson just laughed manically and held onto Ryan tightly, face buried in Ryan’s neck.

“Surrender!” Grayson exclaimed as he poked at Ryan’s sides to tickle him. Ryan squeaked and attempted to slap at Grayson’s head.

“Never!” Ryan bugled as he wiggled in Grayson’s grip. “Castellans never surrender!”

“That’s a straight up lie, baby boy!” Jeff’s voice called from downstairs.

“ _Jeffry_ ,” Riker hissed in response, which caused Jeff to giggle.

“See? _Surrender_ ,” Grayson growled out as he bit at Ryan’s neck again. Ryan just giggled and pushed at Grayson’s face.

“Yeah, but Castellans also know how to turn things to their advantage,” Ryan grunted out before he quickly turned in Grayson’s lap to straddle Grayson’s hips. Grayson twitched in surprise and Ryan cackled as he twisted his wrists out of Grayson’s grip in order to grab onto Grayson’s wrists and pin them back. Grayson squawked and proceeded to try and pry his wrists out of Ryan’s grip. Ryan just giggled and gripped his legs around Grayson’s hips. “Never underestimate a dancer’s abilities.”

“Never said I underestimated them,” Grayson replied with a small smile. Ryan scrunched up his nose happily and leaned down to blow against Grayson’s neck.

“Now c’mon. We need to get dressed so we can go to the airport,” Ryan said as he got up off of Grayson and slapped a hand to Grayson’s abdomen. Grayson released a stubborn noise and rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in Ryan’s pillow. Ryan chuckled and slapped Grayson’s ass playfully. “Get him, Hesty.”

“Ah, no! What? _Hestia_!” Grayson squawked as Hestia happily bound on top of Grayson’s back and began to lick at his ears and neck. Ryan smiled smugly as he watched, hands on his hips. “Hestia, stop it!”

“Will you get your butt out of bed?” Ryan asked.

“Yes! Fine!” Grayson exclaimed. Ryan smiled widely and then clapped once. Hestia immediately stopped licking at Grayson and jumped off of the bed, tail wagging happily. She walked over to Ryan and looked up at him happily, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Ryan leaned down to smack a kiss to her muzzle and ruffle her ears.

“You’re such a good girl, Hesty,” Ryan crooned. Grayson just glared over at Ryan and Hestia as he sat up. Ryan simply smiled innocently and tipped his cheek against the top of Hestia’s head. “You can’t even convince me that you’re actually annoyed. Your eyes scream _fond_.”

“Oh, shut up,” Grayson huffed out as he got up and walked over to ruffle Ryan’s hair. Ryan giggled and stood up to kiss Grayson’s cheek.

“Go get dressed and I’ll go get food ready,” Ryan said as he pat Grayson’s cheek. Grayson simply hummed in response and grabbed some of Ryan’s clothes before he sauntered off into the bathroom. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he left his room and skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen. Wes smirked over at Ryan from where he was sitting at the island, coffee cup held between his hands. Ryan quirked an eyebrow in response as he walked over to pull bread out to make toast. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you’re in a big kid relationship,” Wes chirped in response. Ryan rolled his eyes and waved a hand in Wes’ direction as he slotted the bread into the toaster.

“Last I checked, I was in a _big kid relationship_ in high school too. The guy just ended up being a douche bag,” Ryan replied.

“No, no. This is different. No one ever could see you and Eric staying together. Grayson’s different. I think Jeff and Artemis are already plotting your wedding,” Wes chuckled. Ryan snorted and rolled his eyes.

“If either of them thinks they are going to plan my wedding to anyone, they have another thing coming,” Ryan added. Wes barked out a laugh then and shook his head.

“ _That’s_ what you took away from my statement?” Wes asked. Ryan shrugged as he looked back at Wes.

“Yeah. I’m not going to be like Daddy and Papa32. I’m not going to deny anything, but I’m also not going to feed into it either,” Ryan said offhandedly. Wes hummed then and nodded his head slightly. Cassie skipped into the kitchen then and latched onto Wes’ leg.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Cassie sang. Wes rolled his eyes even as he reached down to place a hand on top of her head.

“You had breakfast, like, thirty minutes ago,” Wes said as he looked down at her. Cassie giggled and nuzzled into Wes’ thigh.

“I know, but I’m hungry,” she replied. Ryan chuckled and walked over to scoop up the four year old.

“What you want, munchkin?” Ryan asked. Cassie giggled and kicked her feet lightly.

“Yogurt,” she replied as she pointed toward the refrigerator. Ryan smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek as he walked over to the fridge to pull out a yogurt. Cassie smiled and kissed Ryan’s cheek in thanks.

“I gotta put you down now, though. I have to butter some toast,” Ryan told her.

“Counter!” Cassie squeaked as she opened the yogurt. Ryan chuckled and shook his head slightly as he placed Cassie down on the counter and then handed her a spoon. “Thank you!”

“Mhm,” Ryan hummed in response as he placed the toast on napkins and then grabbed the butter and a knife.

“I hope you aren’t going to spoil your own kids like that,” Wes chuckled as he walked over to rinse his cup in the sink before he placed it in the dishwasher. Ryan shrugged in response while Cassie hummed happily and thumped her heels against the cabinets.

“I probably will every once in a while because my kids will just be too cute to handle,” Ryan replied. Someone snorted behind Ryan before a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Ryan immediately smiled and turned to glance back at Grayson. “Are you implying you don’t think my kids would be adorable?”

“No,” Grayson replied softly with a smile.

“Good. Because they would be. I mean, I was one of the cutest kids in all the land when I was little,” Ryan chirped.

“So humble,” Wes cackled with a fond eye roll. Ryan smiled brightly at Wes and then handed Grayson a piece of toast. Grayson hummed and kissed Ryan’s cheek in thanks. Ryan just smiled and leaned back into Grayson’s chest as he finished buttering the rest of the toast.

“The domesticity is suffocating,” Lasey deadpanned as she sauntered into the kitchen.

“Oh, like you and Dev are much better?” Ryan asked.

“Heaps better,” Lasey replied easily as she opened the refrigerator to pull out yogurt as well.

“Don’t tell lies, Lase. It’s not flattering,” Jeff told her as he walked into the kitchen as well. “Just because you and Devin aren’t adorably domestic doesn’t mean you guys aren’t bad. At least I’ve never caught Ryan impaled on someone.”

“No, but Martie caught him,” Lasey commented as she hopped up onto the island.

“I wasn’t _impaled on_ , Lasey. Also, she didn’t actually _see_ anything,” Ryan retorted while Grayson made a small noise and buried his face in Ryan’s neck.

“Whatever. You’ve still be caught multiple times in the past with your hands down someone else’s pants,” Lasey huffed out.

“Hey now! Small child!” Wes exclaimed as he gestured wildly in Cassie’s direction. Cassie looked up with wide eyes then, a confused expression on her face.

“Wha…?” she asked from around her spoon.

“See? You’re fine, Wesley. She wasn’t even paying attention to the conversation,” Lasey chirped before spooning yogurt into her mouth. Wes rolled his eyes and reached over to pinch Lasey’s arm.

“Hey, when is Devin getting here?” Riker asked as he appeared in the doorway. “You guys need to be on your way soon.”

“He texted a few minutes ago saying he will be here in about fifteen minutes…so, about, ten minutes from now he will be here,” Lasey replied. Riker shot her a thumbs up and then yelped when Kyler slapped at his leg. Kyler giggled and took off quickly, Avalon squeaking happily as she tore after him. Riker chuckled and followed after the toddlers, Tancred close behind.

“Careful!” Jeff called out even as Hestia barked and ran after them as well.

“Yep!” Riker replied as they heard Tancred let out an excited yelp.

“This house is crazy,” Cassie commented as she stared with wide eyes. Wes chuckled and leaned over to kiss her temple.

“You already knew that, Cas,” Wes added. Cassie shrugged and began to kick her feet again.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t point it out,” she said as she finished off her yogurt.

“Smart girl,” Grayson chuckled as he reached out to give Cassie a high-five. Cassie smiled brightly and slapped her hand against Grayson’s happily.

“I have arrived!” Devin suddenly called through the house.

“Does that mean we can leave?” Ryan immediately asked.

“Damn, hello to you too, asshole,” Devin grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. Ryan smiled widely and handed Grayson a second piece of toast before he began to eat his own.

“Watch your mouth,” Wes shot out as he put Cassie’s spoon in the dishwasher and then threw away the yogurt container.

“Hey! Wesley!” Devin exclaimed loudly then, hands thrown in the air. Wes smiled and rolled his eyes even as he pulled Devin into a hug.

“Just as loud as ever,” Wes added as he clapped Devin on the shoulder.

“It’s because he has to match Lasey,” Grayson quipped as he cuddled Ryan to his side. Ryan giggled and nodded in agreement as he reached out with his free hand to pat Grayson’s abdomen.

“I’ve taught you well, babe,” Ryan hummed before he took a bite of toast. Grayson chuckled and pinched Ryan’s side lightly.

“God, you’re gross,” Jeff told them.

“Now you know what people thought of us at their age,” Riker chuckled as he walked into the kitchen and pressed a kiss to Jeff’s cheek. Jeff heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Stop comparing our son’s relationship to ours at his age. I can’t handle that,” Jeff commented.

“Oh, deal with it, Papa. They’re too domestic and sickening to not compare. Just you wait until Aunt Alyssa and Aunt Lily dig into them with their talons,” Lasey said as she slid off of the counter and walked over to kiss Devin’s cheek.

“You think Curtis is going to be any better?” Jeff asked with a quirked eyebrow. Lasey shrugged and draped an arm over Devin’s shoulder.

“He’s not as in your face about it. We’ll all hear his opinion, though,” Lasey chirped. “Uncle Darren won’t care as much. Aunt Arya will though. She might cry.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. She’s ridiculous,” Ryan breathed as he sagged against Grayson.

“Don’t make fun of my big sister,” Jeff pouted. Ryan rolled his eyes dramatically and then pushed away from Grayson.

“I will do as I please. But right now we need to head out,” Ryan said.

“So soon?” Kyler asked as he skipped up with Ryan with wide, pouting eyes. Ryan smiled and crouched down to kiss Kyler’s forehead.

“Yeah. We’ll see you tomorrow morning, though. And everyone comes in tonight. You’ll be busy even when you aren’t watching the premiere on TV,” Ryan replied. Kyler hummed and then hugged Ryan around the neck quickly before he darted off to try and climb up Jeff’s legs. Avalon did the same with a giggle before she ran over to paw at Riker’s leg.

“You guys be safe and we’ll see you in the morning,” Riker said as he scooped Avalon up.

“Call us when you land in New York and send a text or something when you’re on the way back home in the morning,” Jeff added as he swung Kyler up onto his shoulders.

“Aye, aye,” Lasey twittered as she flit over to kiss Riker and Jeff’s cheeks before joining Ryan by the door. Devin and Grayson followed behind, waving to the others over their shoulders.

“Bye!” Tancred squeaked as he ran up and hugged Ryan’s legs quickly.

“See you tomorrow,” Ryan said as he grabbed his keys and then led them all out to his car.

“Leaving one mad house to enter another,” Devin breathed as they climbed into Ryan’s car. Ryan and Lasey both hummed in agreement.

“Don’t let me get eaten alive,” was all Grayson said. Ryan chuckled and pat Grayson’s cheek before he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the airport.

000000

“You need to calm down, dude,” Ryan breathed from where he was sprawled across a couch with Devin while Grayson paced. Grayson shot Ryan a deadpan look and Devin snorted as he tangled his and Ryan’s feet together. Lasey huffed out a small laugh from where she was sitting and getting the last touches done to her hair.

“Seriously. Going out there tense is the worst,” Lasey hummed as she tilted her head in the direction the person indicated. Ryan and Devin made noises in agreement.

“I know just telling you to calm down isn’t the best method, but seriously, Gray,” Ryan said as he held one hand out and wiggled his fingers. Grayson heaved out a sigh and walked over to place his hand in Ryan’s. Ryan smiled and pulled Grayson down into his lap and nuzzled his nose into Grayson’s cheek. “You’re going to be fine. I won’t leave your side.”

“Promise?” Grayson asked as he peeked over at Ryan. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and smiled as he nodded.

“Promise,” Ryan breathed in response before he kissed Grayson’s cheek. “I wouldn’t just throw you to the wolves. What kind of person would I be if I did that?”

“Uncle Joey,” Lasey chirped easily. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes while Devin chuckled.

“Ryan, honestly. The two of you are in _suits_ ,” Lydia sighed out as she walked into the room and looked over at Ryan and Grayson. Ryan simply shrugged while Grayson stared with wide eyes. “Oh my god, Grayson. Stop looking at me like I’m going to murder you. Just because I don’t approve of you guys possibly messing up your suits doesn’t mean I am going to shove you out of his lap.”

“Yeah. She knows better than to do that at this point. Ryan’s too strong,” Josh laughed as he sauntered into the room. “She once got into a tussle with him when he was twelve and ended up with a black eye right before an event.”

“Woops,” Ryan snorted while Grayson looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Lydia simply smiled and shook her head while she crossed her arms over her chest.

“It was mostly my fault. Riker did warn me,” Lydia breathed.

“As did I,” Lasey twittered as she flounced out of the chair and over to Devin, who looked up at her and smiled widely.

“You’re a knock-out,” Devin told her. Lasey smiled down at Devin and then leaned down to kiss him lightly.

“Thank you. I know,” she added as she pat his cheek.

“So modest,” Grayson deadpanned as he quirked an eyebrow at Lasey, who simply hummed and flit her hair over her shoulder.

“I know I’m attractive. I’m not going to deny it. I got good genes from Papa and Martie without being a clone of either of them,” Lasey huffed. Ryan rolled his eyes and shifted forward slightly to pinch her arm. Lasey smirked down at Ryan with a scrunched nose before she reached out to pinch Ryan’s nose lightly.

“You two, stop it,” Lydia scolded. “You need to get ready to go out, not banter with each other.”

“But all we know is banter,” Ryan countered with an innocent smile. Lydia gave him a deadpan look and then grabbed onto his arm to pull him up from the couch. Both Ryan and Grayson yelped but then Ryan fell into place next to Lydia easily. Devin cackled and pushed himself up from the couch and clapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“I say that’s our motivation to get our asses out there,” Devin added before he latched onto Lasey’s hand and led her towards the door. Lasey giggled and wrapped her arms around one of Devin’s, chin propped against Devin’s shoulder for a few seconds.

“Yes. Get a move on,” Lydia said with a flourish of her hands. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he held a hand out for Grayson. Grayson let out a deep breath and easily grabbed onto Ryan’s hand.

“You’re going to be fine,” Ryan whispered as he bumped their shoulders together lightly while they walked. Grayson squeezed Ryan’s hand briefly in response and Ryan smiled as he kissed Grayson’s cheek quickly before they got outside and were surrounded by sounds and cameras. Grayson flinched back briefly and Ryan chuckled as he tightened his grip on Grayson’s hand to tug Grayson forward. Lydia simply flashed them a smile and squeezed Grayson’s arm as she passed.

“Deep breaths, Grayson,” Josh commented quietly as he passed and clapped Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson nodded and then obeyed as he and Ryan moved forward again.

“C’mon. Pictures are easy,” Ryan hummed as he tugged Grayson towards the area where Devin and Lasey were already posing together. Lasey was owning it, as she typically did, while Devin smiled down at her fondly with one arm wrapped around her waist. Grayson stuck to Ryan’s side as he took deep breaths and Ryan smiled at him.

“Shut up,” Grayson whispered as they reached the area where they were supposed to pose. Ryan chuckled and leaned over to press his nose to Grayson’s cheek briefly, which caused Grayson to smile.

“They don’t mean anything, okay?” Ryan asked. “Sure, they’re taking a ridiculous amount of pictures of us, but they don’t matter. Just me and you matter.”

“God, you’re ridiculous,” Grayson snorted as he nudged Ryan with his elbow. Ryan giggled and scrunched up his nose while he smiled widely and bumped their shoulders together.

“It’s why you love me,” Ryan added smugly. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes in response.

“God, it’s a good thing media busted you guys. I don’t know how you would have made it through without being ridiculous if they hadn’t,” Devin commented out of the corner of his mouth. Ryan made a face at Devin and reached over to slap Devin’s shoulder. Devin and Lasey both barked out laughs before they darted off, earning a glare from Lydia. Ryan and Grayson both shot her innocent smiles before they made their way down the carpet towards the interviewers. One immediately reeled them in and Ryan easily settled into the interview setting, placing himself slightly in front of Grayson as he could tell Grayson was still slightly tense.

“So, Ryan. How was it working on your first really big movie without your dad?” the person asked. Ryan immediately beamed at the interviewer and relaxed slightly since they weren’t getting bombarded with questions about their relationship.

“It was great, actually. I mean, Dad showed up once to help with some piano stuff within the first week, but it was honestly liberating to not have him there all of the time,” Ryan answered. The interviewer nodded and shrugged slightly.

“Makes sense. He’s always been around,” they commented. “Now, in regards to your character, are there any traits of Theo’s that you relate to?”

“Oh, god yeah. I mean, we’re both [terrible dancers](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/119457794484)!” Ryan immediately quipped with a wide, innocent smile as he pulled a few terrible dance moves. Grayson snorted and then coughed to cover up a laugh, bumping into Ryan slightly. The interviewer quirked an eyebrow and Ryan continued to smile innocently before he broke. “Just kidding. I’m a fantastic dancer. But aside from that difference, I actually relate to Theo quite a bit. It’s why I really wanted the part. Lydia knew that right off the bat as she actually reached out to me to get me to audition for the part.”

“And what about you, Grayson? Any similarities between you and your character?” the interviewer asked as they turned their gaze onto Grayson, who tensed back up slightly before he shrugged.

“Not really, to be honest. Will is way more outgoing than I ever have been. It was easy to get into character, but just because I fell into it. It wasn’t due to any attachment I felt towards the character of Will,” Grayson replied. Ryan shot Grayson a proud smile and Grayson rolled his eyes quickly.

“What about between the two of you?” the interviewer asked. “I mean, everyone has heard that you guys got close quickly, but there’s no real background on it.”

“Once we realized we went to the same college, it all kind-of fell into place,” Ryan said with a shrug as he looked back at Grayson, who nodded in agreement.

“Becoming friends wasn’t really something we had to work on. It just happened,” Grayson added. “I can honestly say that becoming friends with Ryan was one of the fastest and easiest processes I have ever experienced.”

“Aw, what a softy,” Ryan giggled as he pat Grayson’s chest. Grayson smiled fondly at Ryan and shook his head. Ryan smiled and scrunched up his nose before he turned to look back at the interviewer. “To be honest, though, that’s completely true. Grayson is a very easy person to befriend. He’s extremely compassionate and genuine. You don’t find that often in a co-star the way I found in this wall of muscle.”

“ _Muscles_!” Devin bugled out then. Grayson immediately sighed and shook his head while Ryan beamed and thrust a fist into the air. “ _Muscles McGee_!”

“I thought we got passed this, Devin!” Grayson called out. Devin cackled and shook his head at Grayson.

“Nope! I just forgot!” Devin replied with a shrug before he turned back to the woman interviewing him. Ryan and Grayson both shook their heads and then turned back to their own interviewer. He looked between them and smiled, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“I know you’re going to hate this because you’re going to hear it all night, but how did you guys end up together?” he finally asked with a glint in his eye. Ryan and Grayson exchanged a look then and Grayson gave Ryan a small, fond smile. Grayson turned to the interviewer then and shrugged.

“It just kind-of happened,” Grayson answered. “Everyone tells us it took too long for us to get together, but we had our own pace and we got there eventually.”

“Yeah. We just kinda fell together, I guess you could say. I won’t say it was easy, because getting to a place where we could accept feelings wasn’t necessarily easy, but developing feelings and being together? Easy in the best way,” Ryan added as he smiled brightly up at Grayson, who smiled back and then nudged his nose against Ryan’s temple. The interviewer smiled at them, but neither of them took notice.

Lydia came along then and ushered them forward. Ryan and Grayson both made small noises and waved at the man before they continued forward, hands clasped together between them.

000000

“God, what time is it?” Ryan yawned when he woke up, stretching as best as he could while enveloped by Grayson. Grayson simply made a stubborn noise and tightened his grip around Ryan’s waist while he nuzzled between Ryan’s shoulders.

“No’ yet,” Grayson complained. Ryan made a small noise in agreement even though he twisted slightly in order to look at his clock.

“Ugh. It is nearly one,” Ryan huffed as he settled back against Grayson’s chest. Grayson made a small noise and pat Ryan’s abdomen beneath his shirt. Ryan hummed happily and pat Grayson’s hand.

“Do we have to move?” Grayson asked. Ryan chuckled and rolled over in Grayson’s arms in order to kiss Grayson’s forehead.

“Not for another few minutes. We have some leeway,” Ryan replied quietly with his lips still pressed to Grayson’s forehead. Grayson hummed in response and tucked his head beneath Ryan’s chin.

“How many people am I being bombarded with today?” Grayson asked tiredly. Ryan snorted and thread his fingers through Grayson’s hair.

“Are you sure you want this answer?” Ryan asked. Grayson made a small noise and Ryan huffed out a small laugh. “Around fifteen. I have no idea if Emily or Ethan have significant others. They probably won’t hang around long, though. They’re busy.”

“Jesus,” Grayson grumbled. Ryan barked out a laugh and hugged Grayson’s shoulders tightly.

“Don’t worry. Everyone is perfectly nice,” Ryan assured. “And after today it will mostly just be friends from high school. They’re much more low-key than family.”

“Remind me again why I agreed to come home with you,” Grayson deadpanned as he peeked up at Ryan, who smiled and then blew a loud kiss against Grayson’s cheek.

“Because you _looooove_ me,” Ryan sang as he pushed Grayson onto his back and rolled over to straddle Grayson’s hips. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he reached out to place his hands on Ryan’s hips.

“I question it since apparently I am meeting _fifteen_ of your family members today,” Grayson snorted. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he adjusted his position on top of Grayson, who made a small noise.

“Well, you can take a picture with Josh to go along with your picture with Jude to annoy Charlie,” Ryan hummed as he pat Grayson’s chest.

“Oh, so it’s _that_ part of the family,” Grayson commented. Ryan nodded once and then wiggled against Grayson, who released a heavy sigh. Ryan smiled smugly then swiveled his hips. Grayson grabbed tightly onto Ryan’s hips then and looked up at Ryan seriously. “Do you not remember last time?”

“For one, Martie is not here this time. Two, my door is locked at the moment,” Ryan replied easily as he leaned down to touch his forehead to Grayson’s. “That, and no one ever said anything about sex _sex_ right now.”

“God, you’re a terrible influence,” Grayson breathed out even as he released his tight grip on Ryan’s hips in order to shift against Ryan.

“I don’t see how it’s _terrible_ when we both achieve great orgasms,” Ryan giggled as he moved against Grayson once more. Grayson released a long breath and responded in kind.

“You’re ridiculous,” Grayson added as he pushed Ryan’s shirt up slightly. Ryan giggled and pulled his shirt off quickly before he bowed his back in the way he knew Grayson loved. Grayson made a small noise and then flipped them easily. Ryan squeaked and then giggled when Grayson kissed his way down Ryan’s chest in order to press kisses along Ryan’s tattoo.

“And _I’m_ the ridiculous one,” Ryan hummed as he ran his hands through Grayson’s hair. Grayson chuckled against Ryan’s skin before he moved back up to press their foreheads and noses together. Ryan giggled happily and scrunched up his nose. Grayson huffed out a small laugh and then nipped at Ryan’s nose as they moved together. “You’re so pretty.”

“Aw, you’re pretty too, babe,” Grayson crooned. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes before he caught his breath briefly.

“You so pretty when you move above me,” Ryan added. Grayson snorted and shook his head before he bit at Ryan’s cheek. Ryan squeaked out a breathy giggle and grabbed onto the shoulders of Grayson’s shirt.

“You so pretty when you pant below me,” Grayson countered a few seconds later. Ryan smiled around a small pant and wrapped his legs around Grayson’s waist.

“You just always so pretty,” Ryan told Grayson as their movements began to stutter.

“Aw, you’re the pretty one,” Grayson chuckled around a small groan. Ryan just smiled and kissed Grayson then before he relaxed, going limp beneath Grayson. Grayson made a small noise before he went limp as well, face buried in Ryan’s neck. Ryan heaved out a deep breath and clapped Grayson on the shoulder33.

“We should get up,” Ryan breathed.

“ _Nooo_ ,” Grayson complained. Ryan chuckled and ruffled Grayson’s hair.

“C’mon. Up. New clothing and then downstairs to meet the insanity,” Ryan said as he wormed his way out from beneath Grayson.

“You aren’t enticing me to move, Ry,” Grayson informed even as he watched Ryan strip down and then use his already dirty underwear to clean himself off. Ryan shrugged in response before he walked over to his dresser to pull out of pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt.

“It’s now or later, Gray,” Ryan added as he pushed his bangs off of his forehead. Grayson released a long sigh and then pushed up from the bed to change as well. Ryan smiled widely and kissed Grayson’s cheek quickly before he darted out of the room to go brush his teeth. Grayson followed a few seconds later, eyes widening at the amount of sound coming from downstairs. Ryan smiled and shook his head. “You should realize by now that my family is loud.”

“I know. I just really wasn’t thinking about it,” Grayson breathed. Ryan shrugged one shoulder as he stuck his toothbrush in his mouth. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he did the same, bumping his hip lightly into Ryan’s. Ryan scrunched up his nose at Grayson and Grayson smiled around his toothbrush.

“I heard _moooovement_!” Logan’s voice suddenly sang before she burst into the bathroom and practically tackled Ryan. Ryan grunted as Logan pushed him into the sink and then pat at her hand.

“You couldn’t wait for me to finish brushing my teeth, could you?” Ryan asked as he bumped her back with his butt.

“Don’t push your butt against my child, you heathen,” Logan scolded as she pinched Ryan’s side.

“I don’t think your five month old fetus cares,” Ryan replied as he rinsed out his mouth while Grayson snorted next to him. “You could have waited for me to come downstairs like a normal human being.”

“That’s _boring_ ,” Logan giggled as she leaned her hip against the sink and then peeked around Ryan at Grayson. She waved and smiled widely. “Hi! I’m Logan.”

“Grayson,” Grayson replied once he rinsed his mouth out. Logan smiled brightly and then stuck her tongue out slightly. Ryan bumped her hip with his and then tucked his fingers into the waistband of the sweats Grayson was wearing. Grayson smiled at Ryan and leaned over to blow a kiss against Ryan’s cheek. Logan smiled as she watched them and rolled her eyes as she pushed away from the counter.

“C’mon. Dad and Aunt Alyssa are practically _dying_ down there,” Logan said as she sauntered out of the bathroom.

“I’m sure they are,” Ryan sighed as he followed Logan and pulled Grayson along behind him.

“Mikael34! Hard candies! Stat!” Logan called out as she hopped down the stairs.

“God, why did I even bother getting you a Christmas gift this year? I should have just gotten massive amounts of hard candies,” Mike sighed from the living room. Logan giggled and walked over to kiss Mike’s cheek before she accepted a candy from him.

“Ryan!” Brant squeaked happily before he ran into Ryan’s legs. Ryan grunted but then scooped up the small nine year old and kissed his cheek. Brant squeaked happily and kissed Ryan’s cheek as well.

“Brant, you’re really getting too big to do that,” Dalton scolded as he looked over at Brant seriously. Brant simply stared back with wide, innocent eyes. Ryan snorted and pressed another kiss to Brant’s cheek.

“He’s fine, Uncle Dalton. I’ve had adults do the same to me and expect me to catch them,” Ryan said as he adjusted Brant on his hip and then quirked an eyebrow at Grayson, who smiled innocently in response.

“In my defense, I knew you had the strength to catch me,” Grayson added. Ryan simply rolled his eyes while Lasey snorted.

“When did this happen?” Lasey asked as she looked between Ryan and Grayson.

“For the first time? While on set. There was that one scene where we’re supposed to run towards each other to hug and Grayson decided that it would be a better idea to run full blast across the set and jump at me,” Ryan replied while Grayson smiled proudly.

“Ry, you used to do that to us all the time,” Devin commented from where he was curled into Lasey’s side.

“Yeah. It’s another trait he inherited from Riker. Riker did that until he was, like, sixteen,” Alyssa cackled as she walked into the room with Arthur hanging off of her shoulders while he smiled widely. Riker smiled innocently then while Jeff giggled and pulled the twins into his arms.

“You are focusing on the wrong thing right now!” Curt exclaimed as he skidded into the room and looked around frantically before his gaze fell in Grayson and he smiled widely. Grayson flinched back slightly and shifted behind Ryan slightly.

“Stand down!” Ryan squawked out as he thrust his free hand out and advanced toward Curt while Brant giggled hysterically.

“You can’t control me!” Curt immediately replied as he thrust a fist into the air and then pulled Ryan and Brant into a rough hug. Ryan and Brant both giggled and hugged Curt as best as they could.

“Injure my child and die, Curtis,” Darren deadpanned as he walked towards the kitchen with Hestia on his heels.

“I’m not going to injure Brant, Darren. Calm down,” Curt breathed out as he rolled his eyes and then released Ryan and Brant. Maya smiled and stepped in to take his place, pecking a small kiss on Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled and did the same in response before he shifted Brant onto his other hip.

“How was your semester, hon?” Maya asked as she pulled away and placed a hand on Ryan’s cheek.

“It was good. Nearly pulled a few muscles during finals, but other than that it was pretty uneventful,” Ryan answered with a smile. Lasey, Devin, and Grayson all gave him deadpan looks and Ryan rolled his eyes. “Everyone already knew about the run-in with Eric. Calm down, all three of you.”

“What? _I_ didn’t know!” Alyssa squawked indignantly as she threw her hands into the air.

“How did you not know, Mom? Even I knew,” Michelle said as she flopped down onto the couch with Lasey and Devin.

“Let’s skip over the ridiculous banter and move onto introducing this insanity to the least insane person here,” Ryan chuckled as he walked back over to Grayson, who smiled and shook his head.

“But I already know everyone,” Curt chirped with a wide smile. Everyone glanced over at Curt sarcastically before he snorted and then indicated towards Ryan.

“Okay, everyone, this is Grayson. Gray, those are Aunt Maya, Uncle Curt, Aunt Alyssa, Uncle Derek, Uncle Darren, and Uncle Dalton. All the cousins are Logan, Mike, Josh, Alanna, Emily, Ethan, Michelle, Arthur, and Brant,” Ryan said as he indicated everyone. Everyone smiled and waved at Grayson, who did the same in response. “None of you are to resort to your typical intimidation tactics.”

“You just took away a good portion of their fun, Ry,” Arthur laughed as he sat down with Emily on the floor.

“I know. I’m a terrible person,” Ryan deadpanned as he placed Brant back on his feet.

“I mean, the intimidation tactics honestly aren’t needed,” Lasey commented as she drew her legs up onto the couch so that Mike could collapse onto the floor in front of her.

“Agreed,” Devin said.

“Mhm. I approved of Grayson the first time I met him,” Riker chuckled as he sat on the arm of the couch next to Jeff. Grayson and Ryan both stared over at Riker with wide eyes while Devin barked out a laugh. “Oh, stop giving me that look. You two had chemistry all the way back then. I don’t care if you’d only known each other for a week.”

“This is why I love you, Daddy,” Lasey giggled as she sank into Devin’s side and tucked her toes beneath Michelle’s leg. Riker just chuckled and shook his head.

“Yeah, how was your premiere last night?” Josh asked as he sat down on the floor with Alanna and allowed Hestia to climb into his lap.

“Long and tiring,” Ryan sighed. Devin, Lasey, and Grayson all made noises in agreement.

“It was very nice to get back here and crash in the wee hours of the morning,” Lasey added as Devin played with her hair.

“That’s why I slept on the plane,” Grayson snorted as he and Ryan sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table across from Josh and Alanna.

“Not all of us are blessed with that ability, Hartwell,” Devin deadpanned. Grayson made a face and held up a hand in Devin’s direction.

“Don’t be so bitter about it, Porter,” Grayson retorted while Ryan smiled and leaned his head against Grayson’s shoulder.

“I will do as I please because you sleep like a _log_ ,” Devin said.

“Don’t I know it,” Ryan laughed as he pat at Grayson’s stomach. “Let me tell you, you do not want to get stuck between the back of a couch and a sleeping Grayson. _You will never escape_.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Grayson hissed. “We both know you’re strong enough to just shove me out of the way.”

“Aw, but then you would end up on the floor and that’s mean. You’re so cute when you sleep,” Ryan replied with a pout. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he shoved at Ryan’s face lightly. Ryan giggled then and bit lightly at Grayson’s palm before he darted in quickly to kiss Grayson’s cheek.

“Aw, you guys are just _adorable_ ,” Logan crooned as she giggled slightly and leaned into Mike’s side. Ryan rolled his eyes and shifted to drape his legs across Grayson’s lap.

“I’m more interested in how long it took Jeffry to ask about Grayson’s dick,” Curt commented.

“Oo, true. We have a betting pool going on that!” Darren chirped as he pulled Brant into his lap while Dalton perked up in interest. Grayson simply stared with wide eyes while Ryan heaved out a breath.

“You guys seriously started a betting pool on that?” Ryan asked while Lasey, Devin, and all of the cousins snorted with laughter.

“Of course they did, Ryan. Don’t be silly,” Ethan snorted.

“They’ve had worse betting pools,” Arthur commented as he crawled over to tuck himself into Ryan’s free side. Ryan hummed in agreement and lifted his arm for Arthur.

“So, how long?” Alyssa asked as Derek shook his head behind her.

“It was the first time I talked to Daddy and Papa after we got together,” Ryan said.

“A bit less than a day,” Lasey added in a bored voice as she and Devin flipped through something on her phone. “It was actually a few minutes after Grayson left the apartment.”

“ _Ha_! I win!” Dalton bugled happily as he thrust a fist into his air. “You’re all _losers_!”

“Hey! I’m the one who won the betting pool on when they were going to get together and that was a much larger pool!” Devin exclaimed as he pointed over at Dalton.

“But why was there even a betting pool about my dick being questioned?” Grayson squawked.

“Oh, it’s a normal Jeffry thing,” Logan commented with a wave of her hand. “Be happy you weren’t present. Mike wasn’t so lucky.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Mike agreed with a sigh while Jeff giggled manically.

“If it makes you feel a bit better, Ryan resisted answering a bit. He claimed he couldn’t judge since he’d only seen you flaccid at that point,” Devin said.

“That does not make me feel better!” Grayson squeaked. Ryan simply huffed out a breath and pat Grayson’s abdomen.

“Wait, you’ve seen him not flaccid now. What’s the verdict now?” Jeff asked as he turned to look at Ryan.

“Jeffry Alexander, _honestly_ ,” Riker breathed as he caught Kyler to prevent the toddler from falling face-first onto the floor.

“It’s a valid question!” Jeff exclaimed.

“At least wait until Grayson isn’t in the room, Papa!” Ryan replied. “Like, dear god. He is literally meeting our entire insane family at once and you want to ask about my opinion on his penis?”

“I’d say that Ryan quite likes it from what I’ve heard,” Devin said airily. Grayson blushed furiously then while Ryan rolled his eyes and then pinched Arthur when Arthur laughed.

“Hark who is talking. You’re super loud,” Ryan shot out. Devin looked over at Ryan with a raised eyebrow then and glanced at Grayson.

“You’re honestly saying that to _me_ with _Grayson_ sitting next to you?” Devin asked with a deadpan expression. Grayson spluttered and blushed even more while the rest of the family roared with laughter. Lasey smirked and glanced between Ryan, Grayson, and Devin.

“He’s loud?” Lasey giggled as she looked up at Devin.

“Oh, he’s worse than Eric ever was,” Devin chuckled in response. Logan and Josh both whistled then while Arthur’s jaw dropped as he looked up at Grayson, who blushed even harder.

“How about we move on with this conversation?” Ryan asked loudly as he pinched Arthur again.

“Aw, what a party pooper,” Emily cackled as she draped herself across Curt’s back.

“Oh yes, how terrible that Ryan doesn’t want all of you guys teasing his boyfriend who has just met you all,” Derek deadpanned. “Like, honestly. Every other significant other in this room had experience with this family as a whole long before they were dating the person they’re with.”

“Aw, that didn’t stop me from teasing _you_ , Derek,” Riker chuckled as he smiled widely over at Derek, who rolled his eyes while he smiled.

“I mean, I deserved some of it with the amount of times you caught me sneaking out of Alyssa’s room before we were officially together,” Derek commented.

“Yeesh. Am I the only Castellan sibling that didn’t hook up with my significant other before we were together?” Curt asked as he threw his hands into the air.

“No!” Darren exclaimed defensively. Riker, Jeff, Curt, Maya, Alyssa, and Derek all looked over at Darren sarcastically then while Dalton suppressed a snort beside him.

“Don’t even try and pull that, Darren. We all know you and Dalton hooked up _in this house_ long before you were officially together,” Jeff said as he set Avalon back on the floor since she’d been wiggling around in his lap.

“Yeah, because Ryan and I caught them,” Lasey snorted.

“My poor, tiny, toddler mind,” Ryan sighed out as he shook his head.

“Seriously. You guys were _terrible_. Brant’s lucky you guys grew out of it,” Josh commented.

“What?” Brant asked as he turned to look over at Josh with wide eyes.

“Nothing,” everyone replied as Brant continued to look around with wide eyes. Ryan chuckled and then pat both Arthur’s and Grayson’s chest.

“Okay. Everyone has been introduced. I am going to let Grayson take it all in now,” Ryan said before he shoved up from the floor before he tugged Grayson up.

“Aw, party pooper!” Alyssa exclaimed. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes before he led Grayson up the stairs. Grayson followed easily, but then stumbled when Hestia tore passed them to get up the stairs.

“Thanks,” Grayson gasped once they collapsed onto Ryan’s bed. Ryan simply huffed out a small laugh and leaned over to kiss Grayson lightly.

“I know they’re a lot,” Ryan whispered. Grayson hummed in agreement and grabbed his drawing pad to pull onto the bed in front of him.

“Did your dad seriously ask you about my dick?” Grayson asked as he began to sketch. Ryan heaved out a sigh and rolled onto his stomach to prop his chin on Grayson’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Daddy barely got out the question if you were still there before Papa blurted out if you had a nice dick,” Ryan replied through a sigh as Hestia turned a few times before settling next to Grayson’s free side.

“That’s just strange,” Grayson breathed. Ryan hummed in agreement, but then grunted as someone dropped onto his back.

“Dear god, you’re a fat ass,” Ryan commented as he reached back to swat at the person’s back. Josh laughed and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s neck in a hug.

“And you’re just an ass,” Josh added as he rubbed his chin against the top of Ryan’s head.

“He’s sure got a nice one,” Grayson hummed. Ryan and Josh both snorted while Ryan pat Grayson’s hand, careful not to jostle it while Grayson continued to draw.

“He’s got some zingers when he’s not surrounded by the insanity,” Josh commented.

“Oh, definitely. It’s been a process though. First time he made a comment he got really embarrassed. Both Hayden and I fell out of our seats,” Ryan said in a fond tone. Grayson snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Well, it’s not really normal to make a comment saying you know a lot about the human penis the first time you’re invited to someone’s apartment,” Grayson deadpanned. Ryan snorted with laughter while Josh shook his head.

“It is when you’re a member of the Castellan family,” Josh told Grayson, who shrugged.

“It’s been a learning process,” Ryan commented. “Gray was good with cuddling right off the bat, but god forbid we made sexual jokes on the regular.”

“Yeah, well, it was awkward because I spent a lot of time trying not to jump you,” Grayson said, pulling a laugh from Josh. Ryan smiled and pat Grayson’s cheek.

“I know. We’ve had this Mr Commando in Gym Shorts,” Ryan snorted. Grayson blushed and made no comment as he continued to draw. Josh barked out another laugh and clapped Grayson on the shoulder.

“Bold man, you are. Doing that while hanging around the person you were attracted to,” Josh added.

“Yeah, well, I never expected him to start gyrating his hips and talking about how he can bend in half,” Grayson countered. Ryan giggled and pat Grayson’s ass playfully.

“You were so innocent,” Ryan breathed out. Grayson made a small noise in agreement and tipped his head against Ryan’s briefly.

“Still am compared to you,” Grayson retorted.

“Nah. I got you to have sex on the patio. All innocence is gone,” Ryan replied while Josh cackled.

“I hope no one caught you,” Josh commented.

“Nah. We were home alone at the time. Hayden was gone for the weekend and Devin was off with Lasey on campus,” Ryan told Josh. “Some people walking their dogs may have heard something though.”

“God, _shut up_ ,” Grayson complained as he threw his pencil away from himself and buried his face in his arms. Ryan giggled and leaned over to nuzzle into Grayson’s temple.

“ _Looove you_ ,” Ryan sang.

“God, you’re sickening,” Arthur scoffed as he walked into the room and wormed his way onto the bed as well.

“Thanks, man,” Ryan chuckled as he reached out to ruffle Arthur’s hair.

“When did you guys actually get in last night?” Arthur asked.

“Probably around three in the morning,” Ryan replied as he grabbed Grayson’s pencil and handed it to him since Grayson had been reaching towards it pathetically. Grayson smiled and kissed Ryan’s temple in thanks.

“Ugh, that’s _terrible_ ,” Josh groaned. Ryan and Grayson nodded in agreement while Arthur huffed out a sigh.

“The lovely life of a movie star,” Ryan deadpanned with a flourish.

“Remind me to never do it again. I’m good now,” Grayson chirped. Ryan snorted and waved a hand over Grayson’s drawing pad. Grayson made an annoyed noise and shoved at Ryan’s hand. “Fuck up my work and _die_ , Castellan.”

“Don’t tell lies, Hartwell,” Ryan said as he quickly grabbed the pad from Grayson, who made an annoyed noise and tried to grab it back from Ryan.

“You’re an absolute _menace_ ,” Grayson grumbled.

“Yep!” Ryan agreed as he held the pad away from Grayson. Josh chuckled and grabbed the pad from Ryan before he sat up on Ryan’s back and began to flip through it.

“Dude, you drew all of this stuff?” Josh asked in awe.

“Yeah,” Grayson replied as he blushed lightly.

“He made ninety percent o the AVPM set this past semester,” Ryan commented proudly. “My Gray is very talented.”

“God, yeah,” Josh agreed. Arthur made an interested sound and sat up as well to peek over Josh’s shoulder.

“Dude, this rivals Uncle Curt,” Arthur said.

“That’s because Uncle Curt does set design and was never an art student,” Ryan snorted. As he shifted as best as he could beneath Josh’s weight.

“Valid point,” Josh chuckled. “You’re an art major?”

“And biology,” Grayson replied.

“Yeah. He’s the reason the twins run around singing _you’re a butthole, I’m not a butthole_ ,” Ryan laughed. Grayson smiled then and scrunched up his nose and then buried his face in Ryan’s neck.

“God, I was wondering about that. They ran around screaming that for nearly an hour last night,” Arthur breathed. Josh made a small noise in agreement and then made a small, excited noise.

“ _Dude_!” Josh exclaimed excitedly as he dropped Grayson’s drawing pad back in front of Grayson and pointed at the drawing of a [ferret](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/33/1a/29/331a29a4aff35cea641bc99798ee905d.jpg) rolled over on its back happily. “Can I use this drawing for my video intros?”

“My drawing of Draco? Why?” Grayson asked in confusion.

“Because literally everyone loves Rupert. He’s, like, the staple of my channel,” Josh replied happily as he bounced lightly on Ryan’s back.

“Just so you know, his ferret’s name is Rupert,” Arthur chuckled.

“That ferret makes up half of his content,” Ryan added while Josh laughed to himself.

“I mean, I guess you could use it. I don’t have a problem with it,” Grayson finally said with a shrug.

“Ah! Thank you!” Josh exclaimed happily before he toppled off of the bed to pull his vlogging camera out of his pocket.

“While Josh is freaking out to his camera, let’s go back to the Draco comment. Did you literally draw Draco Malfoy as a ferret from the movie?” Ryan asked. Grayson smiled and shook his head.

“No, Draco is my [pet ferret](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/12/7b/cf/127bcf7d5f090380d5a1c973b27a3185.jpg)35,” Grayson responded. “Mom and Dad keep him because Ellie is allergic.”

“ _You have a pet ferret and never told me_?” Ryan squawked with wide eyes. Grayson stared back with equally wide eyes and nodded once. “God, you’re terrible.”

“How dare he not tell you of a pet he has in his childhood home,” Arthur deadpanned.

“Shut up, Arthur. This does not concern you!” Ryan exclaimed as he swat at Arthur and then flailed a hand in Grayson’s face. “You need to bring me to meet your ferret!”

“Oh my god, Ry. Calm down,” Grayson breathed.

“No! I love ferrets! Actually, so does Hestia. She met Rupert over the summer and was over the moon. She thought it was great when Rupert tried to bury himself in her fur,” Ryan commented.

“That is a true statement,” Josh chuckled as he turned his camera on Ryan, Grayson, and Arthur. Ryan giggled then and toppled his way off of the bed to crawl over to Josh’s side and wrap himself around Josh, who laughed and turned his camera back on himself.  “Ryan is currently being a _leech_ and postponing my exciting news, guys.”

“Oh, whatever, Joshua,” Ryan chuckled as he settled against Josh. “You’re sitting here flailing like a fangirl over a drawing.”

“Because it’s _fantastic_!” Josh exclaimed as he grabbed the drawing pad and placed it in front of himself on the floor before he turned the camera on it. “So, Ryan stole his boyfriend’s drawing pad from him and then I stole it from Ryan and found _the best_ ferret drawing. Just look at it!”

“God, you’re ridiculous,” Arthur breathed while Grayson snorted.

“Whatever. Ignore Arthur being an ass because I have been granted permission to use this lovely drawing for my video intros because Grayson is my new favorite,” Josh said before he brought the camera up to point at Grayson, who gave a tight lipped smile.

“A Hartwell original, just for your viewers,” Grayson snorted. “One of which is sometimes my older sister.”

“And so the world connects!” Josh bugled as he thrust a fist into the air and turned the camera back on himself. Ryan giggled and then pushed Josh onto the floor. Josh yelped and then laughed as he wrapped his arms around Ryan as best as he could.

“I got a Joshua!” Ryan squeaked happily.

“And I have a cousin that is just _slightly_ overtired,” Josh laughed.

“That’s what happens the day after movie premieres,” Ryan chirped as he smiled widely up at Josh’s camera. “I’m better off than Gray, though. He’s got some really unflattering eye bags going on.”

“You’re a terrible person,” Grayson shot out even as he buried his face in Ryan’s pillow.

“I hope you knew that by now since you’re the one boning him,” Arthur commented before he launched himself off the bed with a yelp as Grayson lunged at him.

“Dear god, Arthur. You literally just met him _today_ ,” Ryan scolded. Arthur shrugged and then crawled over so he was in shot with Ryan and Josh.

“Don’t try and fool me into thinking you didn’t make sexual jokes in Grayson’s presence right after meeting him,” Arthur deadpanned.

“Difference is that was small scale. I literally just got asked by his dad for his opinion on my dick,” Grayson replied. Josh and Arthur both snorted out laughs while Ryan rolled his eyes.           

“Welcome to the inner workings of the Castellan family, guys!” Josh chuckled towards his camera.

“It’s all kinds of fucked up,” Ryan said.

“Don’t even try and make it sound like you’re not part of it, Ryan. You talk about your favorite sex acts with your sister,” Grayson laughed. Ryan shrugged and looked towards Grayson.

“Don’t delude yourself. We have those conversations together as cousins whenever we’re all together,” Josh said.

“True,” Arthur agreed. “Better get used to it now if you’re going to marry into this family.”

“Shut up, Arthur. You’re not even sexually active yet,” Ryan retorted as he shoved at Arthur’s face.

“As far as _you_ know,” Arthur chuckled. Ryan and Josh both looked over at Arthur then with wide eyes. Arthur barked out a laugh and then tapped both their noses. “I’m kidding. Calm down, Jesus.”

“Well, you never know. Lord knows the rest of us were having sex by the age of sixteen,” Josh breathed out.

“That’s being generous on my account,” Ryan snorted before he sat up and then shuffled over towards his bed to climb onto it. “A whole two years off.”

“Jesus,” Grayson huffed before he grunted as Ryan dropped onto his chest. Ryan smiled and blew a kiss against Grayson’s cheek. Grayson snorted and pushed lightly at Ryan’s face.

“I hope you know I expect to meet Draco now,” Ryan hummed. Grayson rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders tightly.

“Maybe,” Grayson replied. Ryan made a stubborn noise and then bit at Grayson’s neck. Grayson squeaked and then laughed as he tried to push Ryan again.

“Don’t deny me!” Ryan added before he blew against Grayson’s neck as Grayson continued to laugh.

“I will do as I please!” Grayson exclaimed as he continued to try and push Ryan away.

“As will I!” Ryan replied through a giggle as he sat back slightly in order to tickle Grayson’s sides. Grayson squeaked again and tried to worm his way out from beneath Ryan.

“Stop! I have to pee!” Grayson squeaked as he pushed at Ryan, who laughed and then leaned down to kiss Grayson’s cheek loudly.

“Aw, don’t want piss all over the place?” Josh asked.

“Nope. Had enough of that when I was house training Hestia,” Ryan replied as he rolled off of Grayson who made a small noise and then rolled off of the bed. Ryan smiled and slapped Grayson’s ass playfully as Grayson skipped out of the room.  Josh and Arthur immediately smiled over at Ryan, who stared back with wide eyes. “What?”

“You guys are cute,” Josh said. Arthur hummed in agreement and rolled over onto his stomach to look at Ryan.

“You picked a good one, dude,” Arthur added with a smile. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he rolled over to pet Hestia, who was still curled up on his bed.

“I know,” Ryan replied as he scrunched up his nose happily. Josh and Arthur both smiled and rolled their eyes before they both pushed up from the floor.

“C’mon! Race!” Josh squawked as he ruffled Ryan’s hair and then bolted out of the room, Arthur close behind. Ryan barked out a laugh and quickly followed after, waving to Grayson as he passed by. Grayson just smiled and shook his head at Ryan before he followed them all back downstairs at a more sedate pace.

000000

‘This isn’t going to be like meeting your family, is it?” Grayson asked a few days later as they drove towards Ryan’s friends’ place. Ryan chuckled and shook his head as he reached out to take Grayson’s hand into his.

“God no. First, there’s only Isaac and Christy, not fifteen insane people. Two, they’re our age,” Ryan said.

“Though, Isaac did start a Youtube channel last year so you’ll probably still have a camera in your face,” Devin commented from the back seat. “Though, if you tell him you don’t want to be in one of his vlogs, he won’t film you.”

“Nah, I don’t care that much about that,” Grayson said with a shrug. “What I care about is Ryan’s dad asking about my dick and the rest of his family having betting pools on the subject.”

“Yeah. Everyone’s a bit strange,” Ryan sighed.

“Understatement,” Devin laughed. “And I just got a text from Christy. Skylar’s going to be there as well.”

“Oo _goodie_ ,” Ryan giggled. Grayson eyed Ryan skeptically and Ryan smiled over at him. “Don’t give me that look. They’re not bad. I mean, sure, we know a lot about each other, but we also lived together in dorms for four years.”

“Yeah. I mean, I basically lived in Isaac and Skylar’s room with them junior year,” Devin stated. “Though, Sky was always in Amy’s room with her after her roommate left, so there’s that.”

“Did you guys just jump dorms all the time?” Grayson asked.

“Yeah. It’s kinda just how it goes there. From what I heard from Daddy and Papa, it happened when they were there too. Sometimes it happens that two sets of people are dating each other so they just swap rooms to be with their boyfriend or girlfriend,” Ryan said with a shrug. “I mean, the teachers and stuff didn’t necessarily approve, but the RAs kind of turned a blind eye most of the time.”

“Pretty much. I spent most of first semester senior year in my girlfriend’s room,” Devin chirped with a shrug. “Second semester she basically moved into my and Ryan’s room.”

“That was needed for diffusion,” Ryan stated as he made a left turn. Devin made a small noise in agreement while Grayson tensed slightly. Ryan smiled and reached out to place a hand on Grayson’s arm. “Calm down, Gray. You need to expect to hear at least _one_ thing about Eric today. Isaac is related to him. Their parents got married during our senior year.”

“Ugh,” Grayson complained.

“Eh. Eric’s really the only bad one in the family,” Devin said with a shrug. Ryan made a small noise in agreement as he pulled into a parking spot next to Christy’s car. “Which apartment are they in again?”

“Top floor all the way at the end,” Ryan replied as he climbed out of the car and then extended his hand towards Grayson before he locked his car. Grayson gave Ryan a small smile as he slid his fingers between Ryan’s.

“Wow. No front desk. I’m not used to this anymore,” Devin breathed as they walked into the lobby and over to the elevator.

“I’ll make sure to let Isaac and Christy know that their living situation isn’t up to your standards, Dev,” Ryan laughed. Devin smiled and shrugged as they walked into the elevator.

“I mean, not all of our friends can buy their own damn apartments,” Devin scoffed.

“I don’t hear you complaining, asshole,” Ryan immediately countered as they got off the elevator.

“Well, ass felcher36, I ain’t gonna turn down free living situations,” Devin retorted.

“Wow, ass felcher. Real smooth, Dev. Pointing out the obvious,” Christy laughed as she poked her head out of a doorway. Devin smiled brightly and bound over to pull Christy into a tight hug. Christy giggled and hugged Devin back tightly.

“Why are we already on the subject of felching?” Isaac asked from within the apartment.

“God dammit, Ryan!” Skylar called out.

“Hey! Devin’s the one who called me an ass felcher!” Ryan defended as he walked into the apartment with Grayson behind him.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Isaac laughed as he walked out of the kitchen to pull Ryan into a tight hug. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he hugged Isaac back.

“I know,” Ryan replied.

“Do I even want to know?” Grayson asked quietly. Devin looked at Grayson then with wide eyes before he turned to look at Ryan.

“Don’t give me that look, Devin. His lack of knowing the term is not because of it not having happened,” Ryan assured.

“Oh. Oh god. I was so scared for a second. Holy shit,” Devin gasped. Isaac barked out a laugh and clapped Devin on the shoulder.

“You thought our boy would give up one of his favorite things for his new boy? Oh, honey,” Isaac added.

“Speaking of new boy, hi! I’m Christy!” Christy chirped as she turned to smile at Grayson brightly. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he tugged Grayson to his side.

“Guys, this is Grayson. Gray, these are Isaac, Skylar, and Christy. Dev and I were basically never apart from them in high school,” Ryan said as he indicated each of them.

“Yeah, and now you’re never seen without Grayson,” Devin cackled as he walked over to collapse onto the couch.

“Hey! I go back to my own apartment!” Grayson defended. Devin quirked an eyebrow and gave Grayson a deadpan expression.

“Tell me again, Hartwell, how much clothing space do you have in Ryan’s bedroom? How many toiletries are _yours_ in the bathroom?” Devin asked before he cupped his hand around his ear.

“God, you’re a dick,” Grayson hissed out as he walked over to tackle Devin into the couch. Devin released a screeched laugh and pushed back against Grayson.

“Someone save me from Muscles McGee!” Devin squeaked out.

“I think Ryan might be the only one that can help you there, dude,” Skylar snorted as he walked over to sit down on the other side of the couch.

“And I’m not helping you. You’re just bitter because Lasey refuses to bring stuff to the apartment,” Ryan said as he walked over and ruffled Grayson’s hair once Grayson settled to sit on top of Devin. “And Lasey’s bitter because I bought my own place before she did.”

“Aw, it’s good to know she hasn’t changed,” Isaac cooed as he flopped down into an armchair.

“Yeah, she’s still a giant pain in my ass,” Ryan breathed as he sat down and then pulled Grayson to his side. Grayson made a small noise but then settled into Ryan’s side, one leg draped over one of Ryan’s.

“And I bet she would argue that you’re a pain in hers,” Christy said.

“Of course. It’s my job as her younger brother,” Ryan replied with a wide smile. “But now she’s got Grayson to be a pain in her ass too. He’s better at it than I am.”

“That’s because I have three older siblings, not one,” Grayson commented as he pat Ryan’s knee.

“That must be interesting,” Skylar hummed.

“With his siblings? It is,” Ryan laughed. “I spent Thanksgiving hearing about Preston’s experiences getting fucked on both ends at the same time.”

“God, he’s disgusting. Like, honestly. No one ever needs to hear about it,” Grayson sighed. “I mean, when I’m drunk I care less, but we were sober most of that weekend.”

“Wait, one of your brothers is poly?” Devin asked. Grayson nodded and rubbed at his temples. “That is new information.”

“Is it really that intriguing?” Christy asked as she pulled her legs up onto the couch. Devin made a face and shrugged.

“No. I just don’t really know anything about Grayson’s family. I mean, we all met his sister, but other than that I know nothing,” Devin said.

“Because I have no reason to tell you,” Grayson countered with a shrug.

“Wow, _rude_ , Hartwell,” Devin replied as he stuck his tongue out at Grayson, who simply shrugged again.

“I don’t give a shit that you think it’s rude, Porter,” Grayson added. Ryan smiled and pressed a kiss to Grayson’s cheek.

“You’ve come so far, babe,” Ryan crooned. Grayson smiled and quirked an eyebrow at Ryan before he turned and buried his face in Ryan’s neck to bite at the skin there. Ryan released a squeak and then giggled before he pushed Grayson away.

“God, I totally underestimated your warning, Dev,” Isaac breathed as he shook his head.

“That’s your own fault, Isaac,” Devin laughed. “I told you guys they were sickening. I never thought I would see the day that our Ry was in a relationship like this, but lo and behold.”

“I mean, I never would have thought since his last relationship was all sex,” Skylar said.

“Yeah. This suits you much better though, Ry baby,” Christy informed happily. “Heaps better than Eric, even before he became a super ass.”

“Aw, thanks. I know,” Ryan said while Grayson made a face. Ryan rolled his eyes and squeezed Grayson’s cheeks together. “I told you that you would hear about Eric at least once.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Grayson countered as he nuzzled his nose against Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled fondly and scratched through the short hairs at the nape of Grayson’s neck.

“Doesn’t mean any of us like it. Eric’s a colossal douche. I refuse to talk to him except for family events at this point. He did text me in a complete huff at the start of the school year asking about _the new boyfriend_ though. I completely went off on him,” Isaac said.

“Yeah. He nearly threw his phone across the room,” Christy commented. “It was an interesting night, to say the least.”

“Can’t be any more interesting than the night we had at Castellan flats. Ryan was wearing his Toothless onesie and then took it half off and was drunk dancing,” Devin snorted. “Poor Grayson didn’t know what he got into that night. The hips got him.”

“The hips get everyone,” Skylar laughed while Ryan smirked.

“Ah, but Grayson is the only one who gets the benefits of the hips,” Ryan purred. Grayson made a small, happy noise and bumped his forehead into Ryan’s temple. Ryan smiled and leaned into the touch.

“Oh, and how he _loves_ those benefits,” Devin teased.

“You know what, you’re a giant piece of shit,” Grayson growled as he shot up to lunge at Devin, who yelped and then darted away. Grayson easily followed.

“Man, such flawless integration,” Isaac breathed as he watched Devin run away from Grayson.

“It’s because he spent all summer on a set with me and Dev and has known Hayden since freshman year,” Ryan hummed as he watched as well with a small smile on his face.

“How did he know Hayden?” Christy asked.

“Same double major. They just have different artistic focuses,” Ryan told her.

“Yeesh. How many bio and art double majors can there be?” Skylar asked with a shake of his head.

“At least two,” Ryan replied with a shrug.

“There are six of us!” Grayson called out as he caught Devin around the waist and then headed back towards them to throw Devin onto the couch. Devin grunted and then crawled across the couch to cower into Isaac’s side and then glare at Grayson.

“Screw you, Muscles McGee,” Devin hissed. Grayson simply smiled and rolled his eyes before he sat back down next to Ryan.

“Sorry, Dev. But that is _my_ job,” Ryan said with a bright smile.

“God, I know that,” Devin heaved out. “I heard you guys twice. Who knows how many other times that Grayson wasn’t babbling and being loud.”

“It’s my apartment, deal with it,” Ryan snarked with a smug smile. Devin rolled his eyes and flipped Ryan off.

“So, Grayson. What art do you focus on?” Christy asked pointedly as she turned to look more at Grayson, who turned as well to look back at her.

“Drawing and painting,” he replied. “I’m not really good at any of the digital stuff. I can’t even draw on a tablet. It just doesn’t come out well.”

“Don’t listen to him. His tablet drawings are still fucking fantastic,” Ryan said. “It’s like when Anna would do a _quick, crap sketch_ in high school and it would be a full page masterpiece.”

“Oh, you’re one of _those_ people,” Skylar laughed. Grayson shrugged and allowed himself to be pulled back into Ryan’s side.

“He definitely is,” Ryan snorted.

“Literally. I came back to our apartment once and found him drawing Toothless on our refrigerator whiteboard. It took him all of five minutes and then he ducked out of the apartment quickly with a motion telling me not to let Ryan know he was there,” Devin said. “But, like, really? Who else would have drawn it? Because lord knows it wouldn’t have been Hayden or Lowell.”

“Yeah, that’s a valid point,” Grayson breathed. “But that was also the day that I snuck in. I was literally only there for those five minutes before I had to leave to go back to campus to take an exam.”

“God, you’re the cutest,” Ryan giggled as he squished Grayson’s cheeks together and then kissed the tip of Grayson’s nose.

“Mind you, this drawing incident happened an entire month before they got together,” Devin commented.

“That’s just ridiculous,” Isaac said.

“Seriously. I don’t understand why it took you guys so long to get together,” Christy commented. “I mean, I know Ryan had to work through insecurities, but _honestly_.”

“Don’t judge my life, Christy!” Ryan squawked.

“I will do as I please, Ryan!” Christy replied. Ryan made a face at her and stuck his tongue out. Christy smiled and rolled her eyes before she flipped Ryan off. Ryan giggled and leaned into Grayson’s side.

“You know what’s stupid?” Skylar suddenly asked.

“What?” Devin asked in response as they all turned to look at Skylar, who snorted and shook his head slightly.

“You all were just raggin’ on Grayson for being one of those people to crank out a great drawing in, like, five minutes while _Ryan_ is sitting next to him,” Skylar laughed. Isaac, Christy, and Devin all barked out laughs then while Ryan rolled his eyes stubbornly.

“Wait, what?” Grayson asked with a confused expression.

“All of us have witnessed Ryan choreograph entire songs for competitions in five minutes,” Christy told Grayson. “There were a few times it was the five minutes before he went on stage if it was a solo.”

“Mhm. His solo to [Papercut](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwtljkGZJnI) was done in five minutes, about, half an hour before he was supposed to go on after a weekend of drinking. One of the best group ones he choreographed in mere minutes was the routine to [Death of a Bachelor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R03cqGg40GU),” Isaac said with a small, nostalgic sigh.

“Yeah. They were honestly two of the better performances as well,” Skylar chuckled. Ryan simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

“He gets embarrassed when we praise him,” Devin chuckled as he nudged at Grayson’s arm. Grayson snorted out a laugh and pulled Ryan to his side and ruffled Ryan’s hair.

“I want evidence,” Grayson added as he looked over at Isaac, Christy, and Skylar. Christy immediately began to giggle excitedly and then shot up to dart over and get her computer.

“You’re in luck. My parents recorded both performances so I have them,” Christy informed as she dropped onto the couch on Grayson’s free side. Grayson made an interested sound and leaned over slightly to look down at Christy’s computer. Ryan huffed out a sigh and then shoved up from the couch in order to go to the kitchen.

“You can’t run away from your ridiculous talent, Castellan,” Isaac chuckled as the familiar notes of Papercut started to filter through the speakers of Christy’s laptop. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped Isaac off before he grabbed a glass to fill with water.

“I don’t like it being pointed out so obviously,” Ryan added after he took a gulp of water.           

“Well then you shouldn’t flaunt it,” Devin said as he slouched down in his seat. Christy and Skylar both hummed in agreement as Skylar skipped over to watch over Christy’s shoulder.

“I forgot how great it was to watch you dance, dude,” Skylar breathed.

“You should live in our apartment during finals, then,” Devin laughed while Ryan rolled his eyes again. Grayson looked up then with wide eyes and stared at Ryan in shock.

“You did _this_ in the apartment during finals?” Grayson asked. Ryan set down his glass on the counter and shook his head.

“Not really, no. I go into the studio to really choreograph stuff out. I mostly do stretches and small stuff in the apartment,” Ryan answered as he walked over and thread his fingers through Grayson’s hair. Grayson leaned into the touch and turned his attention back to Christy’s computer.

“You’re ridiculously talented,” Grayson breathed in awe as he watched Ryan danced across the screen.

“He really is,” Christy sighed in agreement. “I know Dev said you saw him do his drunk dancing, but it is nowhere near the same as watching him really _dance_. Ryan’s dancing is like its own unique form of art.”

“God, never watch videos of him and Riker, then. You might actually die,” Devin cackled. Ryan shot Devin a deadpan look and Devin shrugged noncommittally. “I grew up watching you and Riker choreograph dances on a whim in the middle of your living room and in the studio, don’t look at me like that.”

“And yet he still trips over his own feet on a regular basis,” Isaac sighed out with a fond smile. Ryan smiled and leaned over to hit Isaac on the back of the head.

“Yeah. His clumsiness is why it took me seeing him drunk dance to believe he _could_ dance,” Grayson commented distractedly as Christy clicked on another video. “I spent all summer watching him trip over wires and cracks in the floor and he expected me to believe that he could dance like a professional.”

“Proved you wrong so hard, Hartwell,” Ryan giggled as he draped his arms over Grayson’s shoulders and propped his chin lightly on top of Grayson’s head. Grayson snorted out a laugh and pat Ryan’s hands.

“That you did, Castellan,” Grayson conceded.

“I mean, it took me a few months to believe it after I met him. But I also met him for the first time seeing him nearly brain himself falling down the stairs in our freshman dorm, so there’s that,” Isaac laughed.

“Sounds about right,” Devin snorted with a shake of his head.

“Stairs are _dangerous_ ,” Ryan hissed out before he darted across the room and crawled beneath the kitchen table. Isaac barked out a laugh and then pulled his camera out as he followed Ryan. Isaac turned the camera on and faced it towards himself.

“So, guys. Christy and I seem to have obtained a rodent problem in our apartment. For some reason, the creature likes to hide beneath our table,” Isaac chuckled before he crouched down and then turned his camera on Ryan, who simply stared with wide eyes and squeaked. Isaac, Skylar, and Devin all barked out laughs before Ryan broke out into a smile and giggled.

“Hello Isaac’s viewers,” Ryan giggled as he scrunched up his nose. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, because you never visit,” Isaac scolded as he pulled Ryan out from under the table to tug Ryan to his side.

“Sorry I have a busy life,” Ryan deadpanned with an eye roll. “You know, between filming a movie all summer and then school starting up again right after, I’ve just had _so much_ free time.”

“Exactly!” Isaac cackled before he stood up and skipped over to stand behind Christy and Grayson. “And as payback, we were embarrassing Ryan by showing his boyfriend old Midnight Swallows videos.”

“Wow, what payback,” Devin snorted sarcastically. “Lasey got Ryan better the morning after they got together by telling Grayson that Ryan had sucked his thumb for twelve years.”

“That wasn’t embarrassing. It more made Gray choke on his own spit,” Ryan said with a shrug as he walked over to drape himself across Grayson’s shoulders.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Skylar deadpanned as he quirked an eyebrow at Ryan, who smiled innocently.

“Nah. The closest Lase has gotten to embarrassing me while I was in Grayson’s presence was when she decided to start talking about face sitting to me on the phone while we were on set,” Ryan commented with a small shrug. Grayson rolled his eyes while Devin smiled fondly.

“God, I love that woman,” Devin breathed happily.

“Ugh. The two of you are all gross and in love,” Isaac complained before he turned his camera back on himself and shook his head slightly. “I don’t know why I invited them over. It’s like a love explosion and it’s terrible.”

“Oh, get off your bitter horse, Isaac,” Christy laughed as she looked back at him. “You’ve witnessed worse within your own damn family.”

“I also have terrible human beings in my family to balance it out,” Isaac replied with a shrug.

“Valid,” the rest of them agreed, much to Isaac’s delight.

“I love that everyone unanimously hates the demon step brother,” Isaac chirped.

“That’s because he’s actual scum on this earth,” Grayson grumbled as he reached up to latch onto Ryan’s wrists. Ryan smiled to himself and nuzzled into Grayson’s hair. “I’m still annoyed you guys didn’t let me find him and beat the shit out of him.”

“Just the fact that you would have is enough,” Ryan said before he smacked a kiss to Grayson’s temple.

“Aw, you really did find yourself a good one, Ry baby,” Christy cooed as she reached up to pat Ryan’s cheek.

“I know,” Ryan giggled in response as he hugged Grayson around the neck lightly. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes as he tipped his head against Ryan’s lightly.

“Aw! How _adorable_!” Isaac exclaimed obnoxiously as he moved his camera towards Ryan’s face. Ryan laughed and then flung himself at Isaac, who squeaked and then ran off. Ryan cackled and quickly followed Isaac.

“Too slow for a Castellan!” Ryan bugled as he jumped onto Isaac’s back and thrust one fist into the air. Isaac laughed in response and turned his camera back onto himself and Ryan. Ryan smiled widely and pressed his cheek to Isaac’s temple.

“I have a leech,” Isaac whispered out with wide eyes. Ryan giggled and then pressed his lips to Isaac’s temple to suck there lightly. Isaac made a startled noise and then laughed as he swat at Ryan’s face with his free hand. Ryan snorted and pulled away from Isaac’s temple to smile widely once more.

“I have good annoyance tactics,” Ryan said smugly.

“That you do, Ry,” Devin agreed as Isaac meandered back towards the others with Ryan still clinging to his back.

“It’s the talent of the youngest,” Grayson commented as he smiled back at Ryan, who hummed and nodded once in agreement.

“Except Ryan isn’t the youngest anymore,” Skylar pointed out.

“I was for nearly seventeen years. Shut up, Skylar,” Ryan retorted as he dropped off of Isaac’s back and then walked around to collapse onto the couch next to Grayson. Skylar smiled innocently and flit over to smack a kiss to Ryan’s cheek. Ryan smiled and pulled Skylar down on his free side to wrap an arm around Skylar’s neck and blow a kiss against Skylar’s cheek.

“I think I underestimated this boarding school dynamic,” Grayson said as he looked at Ryan and Skylar with a quirked eyebrow. Ryan and Skylar turned in unison to look at Grayson with wide eyes.

“How did you when you’ve seen me and Ry?” Devin asked.

“You and Ry are different. You’ve known each other much longer,” Grayson replied with a small shrug. Devin nodded slightly and shrugged one shoulder.

“True,” Devin added.

“Going to boarding school was just such an experience,” Christy sighed.

“Mhm,” the rest of them sighed in agreement while Grayson looked between them.

“Show me,” Grayson said. Christy, Isaac, and Devin all smiled widely at Grayson then before Isaac skipped off towards his room and Christy began clicking through her computer.

“You stepped in it now, babe,” Ryan whispered. Grayson smiled and tipped his head against Ryan’s.

“I know. But it was a time that meant a lot to you,” Grayson said quietly. Ryan looked up at Grayson then and gave him a small, private smile.

“I love you,” Ryan informed. Grayson chuckled and smacked a kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“I love you too,” Grayson sighed happily before he turned to smile brightly as Isaac came skipping back into the room with a few boxes filled with pictures. Isaac immediately dropped onto the coffee table and opened the first box as Skylar sat down next to him. Devin made an interested noise and leaned forward as they all joined together to look at the pictures.

000000

“Is it bad that I just want a quiet day?” Grayson whispered the next morning as he and Ryan sat in the back room and looked out over the snow covered back yard. Ryan huffed out a laugh and wrapped his arms around Grayson’s chest.

“No. Just not realistic with my family here,” Ryan answered quietly as he hooked his chin over Grayson’s shoulder. Grayson made a small noise in agreement as he leaned back into Ryan’s chest and pat Ryan’s knee that was propped up at his side.

“I know,” Grayson added as he yawned and slouched down against Ryan’s chest.

“That’s why we sometimes wake up early,” Ryan giggled into Grayson’s ear. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he bumped his temple into Ryan’s chin. Ryan giggled again and rubbed his chin against Grayson’s slightly exposed shoulder. Grayson chuckled and shoved lightly at Ryan’s face as he turned his own face to the side. “You’re adorable and I like you.”

“[I like you too](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/121063750474/weprotectthose-inspired-by-haletostilinski-tags). It’s kind-of why we’re in a relationship,” Grayson snorted as he quirked an eyebrow at Ryan, who huffed out a laugh and blew a kiss against Grayson’s cheek.

“Don’t give me that sass, Hartwell,” Ryan chastised as he tightened his grip around Grayson.

“You sass me all the time, Castellan. Gotta learn to take what you give,” Grayson retorted. Ryan released a hysterical giggle and buried his face in Grayson’s neck. Grayson hummed happily and squeezed Ryan’s knee before he grabbed his phone as it started to vibrate next to him. “Hey, Char. You’re on speaker with me and Ry.”

“ _What the fuck_?” Charlie immediately squawked. Ryan and Grayson exchanged wide eyed expressions and then looked back down at Grayson’s phone.

“What…?” Grayson asked cautiously.

“Not only were you in _Jude’s_ vlog, you were also in _Josh’s_?” Charlie squeaked.

“He should also be in Isaac’s that will go up later today,” Ryan immediately chirped.

“What? Who is that? Another youtuber?” Charlie asked in confusion.

“Yeah. One of my friends from high school that we visited yesterday,” Ryan hummed as Grayson heaved out a sigh.

“Charlie, you knew I was going to be meeting all of these people,” Grayson breathed. Charlie spluttered on the other end of the line and Ryan smiled to himself.

“Stop being so casual!” Charlie exclaimed.

“How else am I supposed to act? They’re just Ryan’s insane family to me,” Grayson commented with a shrug. “I literally met a Broadway star the other day who then quickly informed the entire group that there was a betting pool on how long it took Ryan’s dad to ask about my dick.”

“ _A Broadway st_ …wait, what?” Charlie asked in complete confusion. Ryan heaved out a sigh while Grayson rolled his eyes.

“Papa likes to ask weird things,” Ryan told her in lieu of an explanation.

“Understatement of the year, dude,” Josh yawned as he walked into the room and collapsed onto the couch behind Ryan. “Uncle Jeffry likes to ask weird and _uncomfortable_ things.”

“Valid,” Ryan agreed with a small nod. “Where’s Alanna?”

“Still sleeping,” Josh replied as he rubbed a hand through his hair. “Brant climbed into bed with us though and was kicking me, so I left.”

“Wise choice,” Ryan chuckled. Josh hummed in agreement and then reached out to ruffle Grayson’s hair.

“Ah, what the hell, Josh?” Grayson asked as he glared back at Josh and swat at Josh’s hand. Josh simply beamed and then settled into the couch, clearly proud of himself. Charlie made a strangled noise on the other side of the line and Ryan chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, Charlie. Joshua is now in the room. Hold yourself together,” Ryan said.

“Wha’?” Josh asked tiredly as he turned to look at Ryan, who smiled and shook his head.

“Grayson’s older sister called just to freak at him that he was in one of your vlogs as well as one of Jude’s,” Ryan informed.

“Mhm. She has no life,” Grayson added, which caused Charlie to exclaim out stubbornly.

“I do too have a life!” Charlie exclaimed.

“You are the oldest and the one not in a relationship,” Grayson deadpanned. Charlie immediately scoffed and Ryan chuckled.

“I could almost _hear_ the eye roll,” Ryan said. Josh hummed in agreement as he placed a hand lightly on top of Ryan’s head and then grunted when Hestia jumped up onto him.

“She’s bitter because I’m right,” Grayson commented.

“It’s whatever. Preston more than makes up for my lacking as he’s in a triad,” Charlie said offhandedly. Grayson made a small noise in agreement. “So, how has everything been so far?”

“Insane,” Grayson immediately replied.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is actually quite the calm holiday. By this time last year Ryan and Arthur both had broken wrists,” Josh laughed. Ryan nodded and made a small noise in agreement.

“What the fuck goes on in your family, dude?” Charlie asked.

“Okay, you can’t base the entire family off of that. Arthur and I can get a little too adventurous. We once [climbed the walls](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/65894983492/dylannews-dont-remember-why-this-was) in the hall of a hotel back to back,” Ryan told her.

“Mmh, I missed that one,” Josh hummed. Ryan simply nodded in agreement while Grayson shook his head.

“Did you injure yourself then?” Grayson asked.

“Surprisingly, no,” Ryan replied with a small shrug.

“Impressive,” Grayson commented with a small nod. Ryan snorted and blew a kiss against Grayson’s cheek.

“I’m still astounded that apparently one of Ryan’s dads asked about your penis,” Charlie breathed out.

“That’s normal for Uncle Jeff,” Josh said as he scratched Hestia’s ears. “To be honest, Grayson is lucky Uncle Jeff didn’t manage to show up in Ryan’s room last night during the clothing fight.”

“God yeah,” Ryan breathed in agreement while Grayson blushed furiously.

“Clothing fight…?” Charlie asked cautiously.

“Yeah. It’s something my dads used to do with all the aunts and uncles when they were teenagers,” Ryan told her. “It has evolved since then, though. There’s the goal of getting someone naked now rather than just stealing clothes. Gray was the loser yesterday. Arthur somehow managed to be the winner.”

“He’s too sprightly,” Josh sighed as he shook his head lightly.

“Wait, so how many of the Castellan family have seen my baby brother naked now?” Charlie asked.

“Three,” Ryan, Grayson, and Josh told her.

“It was just the three of us and Arthur yesterday. I managed to get my boxers back on before any of the others showed up,” Grayson told his sister.

“Yeah, but everyone knew what had gone on. There was no other reason for us to be half naked in Ryan’s room in the middle of winter,” Josh laughed. “Logan was really sad she missed the battle.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t going to take down a five month pregnant woman,” Ryan said with a roll of his eyes.

“Sounds like a good way to live life,” Grayson chuckled.

“Doesn’t stop Lo from taking _us_ down,” Josh grumbled. “It’s such an unfair advantage right now. Even Mike bitches at her for it.”

“Mike keeps her in check. She found a good one,” Ryan said.

“We’ve all found good ones, to be honest,” Josh laughed as he reached out to ruffle Grayson’s hair. Grayson squawked indignantly and slapped Josh’s hand.

“I don’t care how much you approve of me, I never gave you permission to ruffle my hair, Josh!” Grayson exclaimed. Josh simply cackled and ruffled Grayson’s hair again. Ryan smiled and kissed Grayson’s cheek.

“Sorry, but my obnoxious family comes with me, babe,” Ryan murmured against Grayson’s cheek. Grayson hummed in response and looked at Ryan fondly.

“I’ve realized and accepted that,” Grayson added.

“Aw, good on you, dude!” Josh said as he clapped Grayson on the shoulder proudly. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Founded you!” Kyler suddenly exclaimed as he ran into the room and launched himself into Grayson’s lap, quickly followed by a giggling Avalon. Grayson grunted and then shifted the twins in his lap.

“Guys, what have we told you about _both of you_ throwing yourselves at someone?” Ryan asked as he looked down at them seriously. Both twins pouted up at Ryan with wide, innocent eyes. Ryan simply quirked an eyebrow at them and shook his head minutely.

“Pooper,” Avalon breathed out a few seconds later before she and Kyler curled up in Grayson’s lap. Grayson smiled and ruffled both of their hair.

“I’m gonna go, Char. I have a feeling the rest of the Castellans are going to be awake shortly,” Grayson said.

“Safe assumption,” Josh yawned as he shifted slightly. Hestia made a stubborn groan, but then easily settled back against Josh.

“Mkay, baby brother. Keep me updated and I’ll see you soon,” Charlie said.

“Mhm. Love you,” Grayson told her.

“Love you too!” Charlie chirped before she hung up.

“Ry, we play in snow later?” Avalon asked as she looked up at Ryan.

“Probably,” Ryan replied as he looked back down at her with his chin propped on Grayson’s shoulder. “We’ve gotta have breakfast and stuff first.”

“Daddy already working on breakfast,” Kyler said as he looked up at Ryan as well. “Brant helping.”

“Oh, that should be interesting,” Josh chortled as he cracked an eye open to look down at Kyler, who simply hummed and nodded once.

“Why don’t we go see if we can help Daddy?” Ryan asked as he nudged Grayson forward slightly and then got up. Avalon giggled happily and reached up towards Ryan, who smiled and scooped her up. Grayson chuckled and tucked Kyler close to his chest before he got up as well.

“Do I need to move?” Josh wailed as he looked up at them.

“Not if you don’t want to, lard butt,” Ryan said with a shrug as he and Grayson left the room to head towards the kitchen. Josh groaned loudly from within the room, which was followed by a loud _thump_.

“I think Josh follow,” Kyler whispered loudly. Avalon nodded in agreement as she giggled and kicked her legs on either side of Ryan’s hips.

“Probably,” Ryan chuckled in agreement. “Morning, Daddy.”

“Morning, baby boy,” Riker chirped happily as he looked up from the stove where he was standing with Brant by his side on a stair.

“What breakfast?” Kyler asked as he wiggled around in Grayson’s arms.

“Pancakes,” Riker replied easily before he turned around to flip one over. Kyler and Avalon both made happy noises while Brant giggled to himself.

“Are you being an actual help, Sir Brant?” Josh asked as he walked up behind Brant and rested his chin lightly on top of Brant’s head.

“I’m always a help,” Brant huffed out indignantly.

“You don’t help me sleep when you kick at me constantly,” Josh retorted. Brant simply shrugged then and turned back to the pancakes. Josh snorted out a laugh and ruffled Brant’s hair.

“You’re the only one who complains,” Brant added with a small tilt of his head.

“That’s complete crap, Sir,” Josh said as Riker and Ryan attempted to hide snorts.

“Rude!” Brant exclaimed as he jumped off the chair in Josh’s direction. Josh squeaked and then took off into the living room, Brant on his heels. Avalon squealed happily and wiggled out of Ryan’s arms to chase after them as well.

“Go!” Kyler giggled as he brandished a small fist in their direction. Grayson laughed and obeyed, chasing after Josh, Brant, and Avalon. Ryan simply smiled and leaned against the island counter as he watched.

“Take Josh down! Get him!” Brant bugled as he jumped at Josh’s legs. Josh yelped as he went down, limbs flailing in the air. Avalon laughed excitedly and jumped onto Josh’s chest while Grayson released a triumphant bugle and dropped to the floor with Kyler while Kyler giggled hysterically.

Riker chuckled from next to Ryan and leaned over to tip his head against Ryan’s. Ryan smiled and leaned into the touch as they listened to the group in the living room laugh.

“You really did find a great guy, Ry. I think he’s here for the long haul,” Riker commented quietly. Ryan glanced back at Riker briefly before he looked back over to where Grayson was now lying on his back next to Josh while Brant, Avalon, and Kyler climbed over both of them triumphantly.

“I sure hope he is,” Ryan breathed out happily as he relaxed. Riker chuckled and kissed Ryan’s cheek. Ryan hummed happily and then caught Grayson’s eye when Grayson looked over. Grayson beamed over at Ryan and Ryan smiled back before Grayson wailed dramatically as Kyler pretended to stab at Grayson’s chest. Riker chuckled and pat Ryan’s shoulder.

“Yeah. I’d say he’s here to stay, baby boy,” Riker hummed before he kissed Ryan’s temple. Ryan simply hummed as he continued to watch Grayson goofing around with the twins, Brant, and Josh.

“Yeah, I think maybe you’re right,” he finally breathed out as he bumped his temple to Riker’s cheek happily.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 21) This is why they needed ridiculous costumes, bc I wanted them to look ridiculous, okay? OKAY  
> 22) Okay. Brandywine High. It was a show Ryan's dads were on from the ages 14-18ish. It is something I completely made up, but it is why Ryan's family got into the business of fame and fortune (Hollywood wise. Riker and Jeff both have older siblings that worked on Broadway. I do what I want)  
> 23) Pizza was always Ryan's go-to after sex food. BBQ chicken was a fave.  
> 24) Let's take a moment to talk about Drop Dead Gorgeous. This movie will have you rolling the entire fuckin' time. It is a complete satire on beauty pageants and I absolutely adore it. Watch it if you can.  
> 25) I realize I always have Matt and Miranda associated together. That is because when it came to competing they were always together, but they are not together as a couple. As mentioned, Miranda is a lesbian and Matt is happily married with children (his wife isn't always so happy bc Matt is an overgrown child)  
> 26) Please, dear god, do not assume I like Star Wars bc of this. I may have gone to nerd school, but I have zero interest in the franchise. I chose the movies for a reason that will become apparent later on  
> 27) Again, please do not assume I know anything about dance, theater, film, or art majors. I myself was a biology (marine) major in college and just do what I want creatively in the story  
> 28) If you read the tags on the tumblr post, I know it says that Lasey didn't know about Ryan and Grayson getting together. That was my original intent, but the characters got away from me and that's not how it worked out  
> 29) Okay. Background on why Addie couldn't accept help: in a previous note, I said Addie had been in an abusive relationship. When Riker first saw/met her, she was still in said abusive relationship and couldn't/wouldn't accept help because she feared what would happen (to Jude) if she did  
> 30) So, Artemis lived next door to Riker and Jeff in their first solo apartment, which they moved into right after they got back from their honeymoon. She saw many, many broken furnishings within the first few months after she knew them, which yes, included dining room chairs and showers. There is a reason they moved when they decided to have kids (read: Riker refused to raise children there)  
> 31) LET'S TALK ABOUT BRAXTON. So, Braxton was Riker's cat that Riker got when he was 13/14. He got Braxton as a kitten from Jackson, the director of Brandywine High. Braxton was very much a daddy's boy and did not like sharing Riker with anyone. He would come to Riker's beck and call, but god forbid he move off of Riker's chest so Jeff could cuddle with Riker as well. It was always a compromise that Riker had to arrange. Jeff would always end up threatening to pick up Braxton and drop him on the floor and Braxton would hiss and growl in response. Oh bby Braxton. He lived to ~20 years old and was attached to Riker's side for all those years. Riker was just as attached and tended to sneak Braxton into his dorms in high school and college. He got away with it every time as his RAs always tended to love Braxton. Macen (Riker's college roommate) hated it though, solely bc his bed always got the most sun and Braxton would sprawl. BBY BRAXTON. ONE OF MY FAVE PETS TO WRITE EVER <3


	3. Epilogue (Two Years Later)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we come to the end of NaNoWriMo 2k15. I had gotten the idea for this story back in January of 2015 and it was TORTURE waiting to write it. Though, I did get a lot of ideas over the months. Which may be why this novel turned into such a monster. Woops. No regrets.

Ryan ran down the hallway of the apartment towards the room that was now Arthur’s. He skid along the floor in his socks as he attempted to stop and swore as he caught himself on the doorframe. Arthur looked up from his textbook and quirked an eyebrow at his older cousin and stared expectantly.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Arthur asked as he pushed his textbook aside. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as he bound into the room and then jumped onto Arthur’s bed. “Seriously, Ry. I need to study.”

“What are your plans later today?” Ryan asked as he scooped Draco37 up when the ferret came squirming out from beneath the bed. Arthur eyed Ryan skeptically while Ryan continued to beam at Arthur while Draco climbed onto Ryan’s shoulders.

“I intend to hole up in this room, continue to ignore the fact that Lasey and Devin used to fuck in here, and study,” Arthur answered. Ryan made a face and shook his head slightly.

“No. Wrong answer,” Ryan chirped.

“Really?” Arthur asked with a deadpan expression.

“Really,” Ryan replied with a small giggle as he ignored Draco climbing on top of his head. “You, my favorite little cousin, are going to keep Grayson occupied for me.”

“And why would I do that?” Arthur asked with a roll of his eyes.

“One, because you love me and I need to run an extremely important errand without raising suspicion. Two, because I let you live here for free,” Ryan replied with a smug smile.

“I know you’re trying to look smug, but the effect is heavily impacted by the ferret trying to bury itself in your hair,” Arthur said as he pulled his textbook back in front of himself and grabbed his highlighter.

“Don’t care. Will you do this for me?” Ryan asked sincerely. “I honestly need him distracted. Just, like, play some video games with him, or something.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve got you,” Arthur sighed heavily. “Now get out of my room. I have a test on Monday.”

“Aw, ickle college freshman trying to be so good about studying,” Ryan teased before he flit out of the room, careful to not cause Draco to fall off of his head.

“Sorry we didn’t all major in something that comes naturally to us!” Arthur called after Ryan, who barked out another laugh.

“Ryan, get Draco off of your head,” Grayson hummed as Ryan skipped into their room. Ryan giggled and lifted Draco off of his head and placed the ferret lightly on top of Hestia. Draco squeaked happily and immediately curled up in Hestia’s fur. Grayson smiled and then shook his head lightly. Ryan smiled as well and dropped onto the bed to press a loud kiss to Grayson’s cheek.

“How is the grading going?” Ryan asked as he settled onto the bed next to Grayson, who grunted and waved a paper about.

“I’m convinced that these students are all idiots,” Grayson replied as he dropped the paper onto the pile of others. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and pat Grayson’s forearm.

“They’re freshmen. They’re testing their limits. They never expected to have the great Grayson Hartwell as their TA,” Ryan commented.

“Not an excuse for some of these answers,” Grayson sighed. “Like, honestly. Some kid put _chloroform_ for the answer on the question about what plant cells contain that animal cells don’t, aside from rigid cell walls.”

“I mean, chloroform sounds similar to chloroplasts38…?” Ryan tried. Grayson looked down at Ryan with a deadpan expression, one eyebrow quirked. Ryan broke into a smile then and blew a kiss against Grayson’s arm.

“I thought you were going on a run with Hayds,” Grayson said then as he turned back to the papers in front of him.

“Oh, I still am,” Ryan replied as he shoved himself up into the sitting position. “I just wanted to check on you first.”

“Aw, thanks, babe,” Grayson hummed as he turned to smile at Ryan. Ryan simply hummed in response and smacked a kiss to Grayson’s lips.

“I love you,” Ryan breathed. Grayson huffed out a small laugh and bumped their noses together.

“I love you too,” Grayson replied. “Now go for a run with Hayden and get your excess energy out.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Ryan chirped as he bounced off of the bed. Grayson chuckled and swat at Ryan’s ass playfully as Ryan left the room. “ _Haaayden_!”

“ _Ryaaan_!” Hayden immediately called back before she appeared in the hallway. “Are we finally ready to go for our run?”

“Yep!” Ryan replied as he pulled his shoes on. Hayden made a happy noise and pulled hers on as well. “Be back in a bit! Don’t let Draco and Hestia destroy the living room again!”

“Yep!” Grayson and Arthur’s voices sang out. Hayden smiled and rolled her eyes before she and Ryan left the apartment.

“Which loop?” Hayden asked once they were outside.

“One that leads to the park,” Ryan replied as he turned in that direction. “We have things to talk about.”

“Oo, _intriguing_ ,” Hayden immediately giggled as they took off running. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes as they fell into step together easily.

“Yeah, yeah. Just promise to try and restrain yourself from hitting me in excitement,” Ryan said. Hayden beamed over at Ryan then, both eyebrows raised in anticipation.

“I promise _nothing_ ,” she said after a few seconds. Ryan shrugged and put on a burst of speed. Hayden made an annoyed noise but caught up easily and slapped Ryan’s arm. “Don’t be a dick.”

“I will do as I please,” Ryan replied with a smirk. Hayden snorted and shook her head.

“Hey, weren’t your glasses supposed to get here today?” Hayden asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Yeah. I have ‘em in my pocket. I didn’t want to wear them while running. Knowing my luck they’d slide off my nose from sweat,” Ryan replied. Hayden gave a small shrug in agreement.

“Grayson seen them yet?” Hayden asked. Ryan shook his head in response and Hayden smiled broadly. “Were you scared we would have never left if he saw them?”

“A bit, yeah. I mean, first time I saw Grayson with his glasses I nearly jumped him. Probably a good thing we were on set,” Ryan sighed.

“More like a shame. Maybe y’all would’ve gotten together faster,” Hayden commented with a tilt of her head. Ryan rolled his eyes and smacked at her arm lightly as they slowed down as they approached the park.

“It’s been two years, I thought you’d be over this by now,” Ryan huffed out. Hayden made a small noise and shook her head.

“I’ll never be over the ridiculousness that was that summer. You two were basically dating but refused to let the other know you wanted to be together,” Hayden snorted as they came to a stop and sat on top of a picnic bench. “Now, c’mon. I wanna see the glasses.”

“God, you’re obnoxious,” Ryan told her even as he pulled the glasses out of his pocket and slid them onto his face. Hayden leaned back slightly and inspected Ryan’s face before she hummed and nodded once.

“They totally suit you. You look good. Grayson’s totally going to dig ‘em,” Hayden said. Ryan snorted and shook his head slightly as he ran his hands through his hair. Hayden smiled and bumped their shoulders together. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“You need to promise not to hit me,” Ryan said as he gave Hayden a serious look. She released a long sigh and tipped her head back.

“ _Fine_ ,” she finally breathed out. “I promise not to hit you in an excitement fueled fury.”

“Atta girl,” Ryan chuckled with a small smile. “Now, I need to ask you a favor. I already have Arthur keeping Gray occupied for me tonight.”

“And you need Grayson occupied _why_ …?” Hayden prodded with a smirk on her face. Ryan turned his face away from her and looked out ahead of himself, hands clasped between his knees.

“Because I intend to go get an engagement ring and I want you to come with me,” Ryan finally told her. Hayden released a high-pitched screech then and nearly fell off of the picnic table in her excitement. Ryan looked over at her with an [amused expression](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/130028330149) and one quirked eyebrow. Hayden simply stared back in excitement, practically bouncing in place.

“You’re not shitting me right now, are you?” Hayden asked as she latched onto Ryan’s forearm.

“No, I am not shitting you. I am pretty sure which rings I want. I just want you to come along and give your opinion just in case there might be a better option,” Ryan told her. Hayden giggled manically and then nudged against his shoulder with her forehead.

“Do you know how you’re going to ask him yet?” Hayden asked as she straightened up.

“Not at all,” Ryan breathed. “I just know I want to.”

“ _Ah_! This is _so exciting_!” Hayden squeaked as she clapped her hands together. “The first of my friends to get engaged. Lasey’s gonna be _so pissed_.”

“Yeah, well, she can deal with it. She’s the one dating Devin. Though, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was the one to end up proposing,” Ryan snorted. Hayden hummed in agreement and then leaned over to press their shoulders together. “In all seriousness, though, I am super excited for you. You’ve come a long way, the both of you. I am also super honored that you want me to come with you to get the rings.”

“I wouldn’t want to bring anyone else,” Ryan confided as he pressed a kiss to Hayden’s forehead. She hummed happily and nuzzled into Ryan’s shoulder.

“You’re just trying to flatter me,” Hayden added.

“Maybe,” Ryan replied with a shrug. Hayden snorted and then slapped a hand to Ryan’s thigh.

“C’mon. Let’s head back. You can spend some quality time with your love before we head out later,” Hayden said as she pushed up from the picnic table. Ryan smiled and shook his head as he followed her lead. Hayden smiled and pat Ryan’s shoulder before they took off back towards the apartment. “Does this mean you’re gonna kick me and Arthur out once you’re married?”

“No,” Ryan snorted. “I mean, that’s totally up to you guys, but I would never force you to move out.”

“Oh good,” Hayden giggled. “I like our apartment. Obviously I’ll move out at some point, but that will be after Lowell finishes his PhD.”

“I expected nothing less,” Ryan replied as he pushed his glasses up his nose. “Ugh. I should have taken these off before we left. Sweat is not great with glasses.”

“Gotta get used to it at some point,” Hayden said with a shrug. Ryan made a noise in agreement before they fell silent for the rest of the run back.

“We’re baaack!” Ryan sang once they burst through the door. Hestia released a bark before she came running into the living room to barrel into Ryan’s legs. Ryan chuckled and pet her sides as Draco came hopping into the living room as well, chattering in annoyance. “Aw, Draco, did your resting place move?”

“Yeah. He’s not pleased,” Grayson chuckled as he walked into the room and scooped up Draco to place him back on Hestia’s back. Grayson straightened up and then stopped in his tracks when he looked at Ryan. Hayden snorted and rolled her eyes as she walked towards her room, already shedding her clothes. Ryan just smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“So, Gray, what do you think of my [glasses](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/122041699079/hoechlinth-sterek-au-big-bad-wolfs-got-jokes)?” Ryan asked as he slid his shoes off.

“I mean, if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not a fan,” Grayson said with a shrug. Ryan froze then and looked at Grayson.

“Excuse me? Why?” Ryan asked as he placed his hands on his hips defensively. A mischievous smile spread across Grayson’s face.

“Because _I_ like to be the only thing to sit on your face,” Grayson told Ryan cheekily. Ryan burst into a fit of giggles then and reached out to tuck his fingers into the waistband of Grayson’s shorts.

“Does that same logic apply to your own glasses and me?” Ryan asked. Grayson’s smirk widened slightly as he quirked an eyebrow in challenge.

“Fucking hell,” Arthur’s voice groaned from his room before he emerged, backpack and jacket thrown over his shoulder. “I didn’t sign up for this shit. I’ll be back later, I’m going to the library.”

“Bye!” Ryan called over his shoulder as he placed a hand on Grayson’s chest and gently pushed Grayson back towards their room. “I’ll text you when you’re needed!”

“Yep!” Arthur chirped before the door closed. Ryan paid no attention though as he continued to push Grayson back towards their room, both of them smirking.

“Shower. Now,” Ryan breathed out as soon as he closed their bedroom door. Grayson chuckled and obeyed easily, pulling his shirt off over his head as he went. Ryan watched appreciatively and then followed quickly to bound past Grayson and squeeze Grayson’s ass quickly. Grayson chuckled and practically tackled Ryan into the shower. Ryan screeched out a giggle and turned in Grayson’s arms to look at him.

“Love you,” Grayson whispered as he touched their foreheads together. Ryan smiled widely and nuzzled their noses together.

“Love you too,” Ryan replied quietly before he pulled Grayson’s face to his own while they both smiled.

000000

“Mkay, Hayds and I will be back in a bit,” Ryan said as he walked by and pressed a kiss to Grayson’s temple. Grayson simply hummed in response without taking his gaze off of the TV as he flicked at something on his controller.

“Fuck! You’re an asshole! Throwing fuckin’ shells at me!” Arthur swore loudly as Grayson cackled manically.

“You’re the one who chose to play Mario Kart with him,” Ryan commented as he snatched up Arthur’s keys. Arthur looked over at Ryan quickly and rolled his eyes.

“Shut up,” Arthur added.

“Don’t kill each other over a game!” Hayden called out before she closed the door behind herself and Ryan. Ryan snorted and shook his head as he pulled his hood up. “Is there a reason we’re taking Arthur’s car?”

“Yes. The paparazzi don’t recognize it yet. You’re insane if you think I’m going to a fucking _jeweler_ in my own car,” Ryan snorted as they climbed into Arthur’s car. “I am not letting this get out before _I_ want it to.”

“Ah. That explains the hat and hoodie as well, then,” Hayden hummed. “How do you know the people at the jeweler won’t sell you out?”

“Because it’s the same place Daddy got his engagement ring for Papa. He looked at that damn ring throughout their entire college career and none of them ever said anything,” Ryan said as he checked his surroundings before pulling out into the street.

“Hm. The more you know,” Hayden breathed. Ryan simply nodded once as he continued to drive.

“You are also not to tell anyone, which includes Lowell,” Ryan told her. Hayden heaved out a breath then and thumped her head back against the headrest. Ryan looked at her seriously out of the corner of his eye. “I mean it, woman. If I so much as _think_ you’ve told Lowell anything before I propose I will re-think not kicking you out of the apartment.”

“Wow. Harsh,” Hayden commented. Ryan nodded once with finality.

“My house. My rules,” Ryan told her. “And Grayson’s, actually. It’s why Draco has free reign.”

“Eh. Draco isn’t troublesome like Devin’s guinea pig was,” Hayden replied with a small shrug. Ryan groaned at the memory and shook his head.

“Thank god he and Lase got an apartment together. That fucking guinea pig was _the worst_ ,” Ryan hissed. Hayden hummed in agreement and looked towards the jewelers curiously as Ryan pulled into the parking lot. “Now, get inside as quickly as you can. People know who you are at this point.”

“Yes sir!” Hayden chirped and saluted Ryan before they both climbed out of the car and headed into the jeweler quickly.

“Ah! Ryan! I was wondering when you would be coming back!” the woman behind the counter exclaimed with a bright smile. Ryan smiled back and pushed the hood off of his head.

“Hello, Emille. How’s it going today?” Ryan asked as he walked up to her and leaned against the counter.

“Pretty slow, actually,” she replied before she turned to smile at Hayden. “You must be Hayden. Ryan said he would probably bring you at some point.”

“Yep! That’s me!” Hayden squeaked happily. “Little bugger only told me of plans this morning.”

“I know you better by now. You have a big mouth,” Ryan replied as he straightened up. Hayden rolled his eyes and crossed her arms over her chest while Emille giggled at them.

“Are you still looking at the same ones?” Emille asked. Ryan simply nodded and Emille’s smile brightened as she turned to grab a small box. Hayden jumped slightly in place with excitement, one hand clutching at Ryan’s arm. Emille quirked an eyebrow at Hayden as she smiled and placed the box in front of Ryan.

“Thanks,” Ryan breathed as he brought the box closer and opened it to reveal the two [rings](http://g03.s.alicdn.com/kf/HT1qfsaFMtcXXagOFbX8/122776311/HT1qfsaFMtcXXagOFbX8.jpg)39 inside, one slightly thinner than the other. The both were silver with two lines of abalone circling around the band. Hayden cooed softly and rested her chin on Ryan’s shoulder.

“They’re absolutely _gorgeous_ , Ry,” she breathed. “I think Grayson would love them.”

“Yeah?” Ryan asked as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. Hayden smiled brightly at Ryan and nodded once.

“Definitely,” Hayden assured. “You chose well, Ry.”

“Thanks,” Ryan breathed as he tipped his head against hers. Hayden huffed out a small laugh and kissed Ryan’s cheek.

“So, I take it you are finally going to buy these?” Emille asked. Ryan nodded and smiled at her. Emille smiled brightly and clapped once in excitement. “At least you didn’t take four years like your father. The older employees _still_ talk about that.”

“I’ll make sure to let Daddy know,” Ryan chuckled as he handed his credit card over to Emille, who smiled and accepted the card.

“I’m kind-of sad I missed it. Is it a really nice ring?” Emille asked as she flit over to the register to ring up Ryan’s purchase.

“Yeah. It’s [silver](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/86721554894/uploading-as-a-reference-to-jeffs-wedding-ring-in) and has vines around it,” Ryan told her as he tapped on the glass in front of him lightly. Emille hummed happily and then walked back over to hand Ryan his credit card and the box.

“Well, I hope your boyfriend loves the ring,” Emille chirped with a wide smile.

“Thanks,” Ryan replied with a small smile as Hayden giggled next to him.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Grayson _gushes_ about it,” Hayden added. Ryan rolled his eyes and elbowed Hayden in the side lightly.

“Thank you for everything this past month, Emille. You’ve been great,” Ryan said.

“No problem, Ryan. Good luck to you and I hope that you have a wonderful engagement and wedding!” Emille squeaked happily. Ryan just smiled at her once more and then practically shoved Hayden out of the jeweler and back towards Arthur’s car.

“ _Pushy_ ,” Hayden commented with a small giggle. Ryan just smiled and rolled his eyes as he climbed into the car and then slid the ring box into his pocket.

“Shut up,” he added as he started the car. Hayden just giggled once more and ruffled Ryan’s hair affectionately. Ryan made a stubborn noise and swat at her hand before he drove off. “Now, you are to act _normal_ when we get home. We both know you’re terrible at hiding your excitement, but I _need_ you to.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll do my best and hold off until I get to my bedroom,” Hayden said with a flippant hand wave.

“Thank you,” Ryan huffed out as he shifted in his seat carefully while he drove. Hayden smiled over at Ryan and reached out to pat his arm.

“Calm down. I don’t think it matters how you propose. He’s going to accept,” Hayden said quietly. Ryan glanced at her quickly and then shrugged one shoulder.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Ryan whispered.

“You’re letting your insecurities and anxieties cloud your judgment. As someone who has an unbiased opinion and has watched you guys in a relationship for the past two years, _you have nothing to worry about_ ,” Hayden countered. Ryan rolled his eyes to himself and pat her knee before he pulled into the parking spot. Hayden heaved out a sigh but then followed Ryan out of the car. “You’re insufferable.”

“I know. It keeps me awake at night,” Ryan replied with a dramatic sigh as they got onto the elevator. Hayden snorted and pinched his arm lightly.

“Ah! You motherfucker! I’m going to kill you in your sleep!” Arthur’s voice exclaimed, quickly followed by a manic cackle from Grayson as Ryan and Hayden approached the apartment door. Ryan and Hayden exchanged a glance before Ryan pushed open the door. They were immediately met with the sight of Arthur and Grayson shoving each other with their shoulders on the couch while Draco rolled around happily on the coffee table, small limbs flailing in the air.

“Do I even want to know?” Hayden asked as she shut the front door and pat Hestia’s head when Hestia ambled up to them.

“This fucker chose rainbow road!” Arthur screeched.

“Because he knows he can win on it,” Ryan chuckled as he walked over to kiss the top of Grayson’s head. “He’s an absolute asshole about it as well.”

“We all have our talents,” Grayson replied with a smile as he paused the game and looked up at Ryan. Ryan smiled back and rolled his eyes before he leaned down to kiss Grayson lightly.

“Yeah, and apparently you’re an absolute _jerk_ with yours,” Hayden laughed as she sauntered into the kitchen. Grayson smiled widely then and nodded once while Arthur scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“I’m never playing Mario Kart with you alone ever again,” Arthur commented. Grayson shrugged and then pulled Ryan down into his lap. Ryan hummed happily and blew against Grayson’s cheek. Hayden quirked an eyebrow at Ryan then and smirked. Ryan rolled his eyes and flipped her off as he shifted out of Grayson’s lap even though he kept his legs draped over Grayson’s.

“It’s a learning experience, Art,” Ryan said as he held out a hand for Arthur’s controller. Arthur huffed out a breath and slapped the controller into Ryan’s hand before he stalked off towards his bedroom. Ryan chuckled and tipped his head back to look after Arthur. “It is all about learning how to throw Grayson off track!”

“Whatever!” Arthur replied before they heard his door close. Hayden giggled and then flit over to kiss the tops of both of their heads.

“You two enjoy battling over Mario Kart. I’m gonna go work on my portfolio,” Hayden said. Ryan and Grayson both hummed as they battled for the main controller and who would pick the courses.

“Night, Hayds. Thanks for earlier!” Ryan called out as she walked down the hallway. She simply waved a hand over her shoulder before she retreated into her bedroom and shut the door.

“You’re going _down_ , Castellan,” Grayson chuckled as he tore the main controller out of Ryan’s grip and then quickly selected a course.

“Oh, you piece of shit,” Ryan hissed through a giggle as he grabbed the other controller quickly to get his character going. Grayson just laughed and bumped their shoulders together. Ryan smiled and bumped back, quietly thinking about the rings currently hidden in his pocket.

000000

“God, someone just _shoot_ me. This woman wants _more_ pictures,” Hayden complained a few mornings later as they lounged around the living room.

“Tell her to kindly fuck off,” Ryan replied with a shrug as he opened another email from Lydia about a premiere interview40. Grayson snorted next to Ryan as he ticked something off as incorrect on a student’s paper.

“I don’t think that would be a wise choice,” Grayson added as he glanced over at Hayden, who heaved out a sigh and slumped in her chair.

“What are you putting all these pictures together for anyway?” Arthur asked from his spot on the floor where he was lying on his stomach with his textbooks in front of himself.

“An exhibit that is supposed to open next month,” Hayden sighed as she typed out a response to the woman frantically. “Like, she has all of my new stuff. I don’t know what she wants. Everything else I have has been used in previous exhibits. Granted, some of the exhibits were class ones in college.”

“She won’t know that. Just send those,” Grayson told her with a small shrug. Hayden released an annoyed groan and flopped her limbs out.

“This is just so _dumb_ ,” Hayden complained. “She already has _one hundred_ pictures. Why the fuck does she need more?”

“Because she’s essentially your boss and bosses live to annoy you,” Ryan snorted. “Unless Lydia is your boss, then everything is fun and lovely.”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Hayden hissed as she glared at Ryan through narrowed eyes. Ryan shot her an innocent smile and leaned against Grayson’s side.

“How is Lydia?” Grayson asked as he set aside one paper and picked up the next.

“She’s good. She said for you to come visit next time I have to go to set,” Ryan replied as he finished off an email and then shut his laptop. Grayson made a small noise in agreement as he marked something.

“Depends on how much work I have to do,” Grayson added. Ryan hummed in understanding and slouched down slightly. Draco immediately made a noise and scurried off of Hestia’s back to crawl into Ryan’s lap. Ryan smiled and tickled Draco’s stomach as Draco rolled over in his lap. “I think Draco likes you more than me now.”

“I cuddle with him more,” Ryan replied easily as he let Draco nibble lightly at his fingers. Grayson made a small noise in agreement and reached over to scratch Draco’s stomach briefly. Draco made a happy chirrup and nipped at Grayson’s fingers. Grayson smiled and tapped one finger on the top of Draco’s head before he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him.

“God, it’s like you guys have animal kids rather than actual kids,” Arthur commented as he watched them with amusement.

“Oh my god, so true! Hestia is like the exasperated older sister and Draco’s the younger brother who knows he’s cute and uses it to get away with things,” Hayden giggled.

“So, basically Hestia is Lasey and Draco is Ryan,” Arthur snorted as he turned back to his textbooks. Ryan huffed out a chuckle and shrugged slightly.

“A bit, yeah,” Ryan finally conceded as he allowed Draco to latch onto his hand and lick at his fingers. Grayson quirked an amused eyebrow at Ryan and snorted.

“You used your face to get your way as a kid?” Grayson asked.

“Oh, god yeah. Daddy used to chastise me by going _what did I say about using your face_? A lot of people who heard Daddy or Papa say that in public gave them weird looks for it,” Ryan said as Arthur attempted to stifle his laughter.

“I heard it more than a few times as a kid, which says something since I am four years younger,” Arthur finally choked out. “He used his face to his advantage way into elementary school.”

“Who are you kidding? He still does,” Hayden scoffed.

“No. He uses his hips,” Grayson commented offhandedly as he moved onto the final paper from the original stack. Ryan smiled and scrunched up his nose as he bumped his shoulder into Grayson’s. Grayson just smiled and shook his head while Hayden snorted and Arthur shook his head.

“That is a valid statement,” Hayden laughed. “If I recall, the hips got you _bad_ , Grayson.”

“I won’t deny that,” Grayson said. “Especially since I was buzzed first time I saw him put them to use.”

“That’s always an important factor,” Ryan hummed with a small tilt of his head as he reached out to pet Hestia with his free hand. Grayson made a noise in agreement as he focused on the paper in front of him.

“You guys better warn me if you intend to get drunk, because I cannot handle that much sexual talk from multiple people,” Arthur warned. “I can take it in small doses with family, but with people I’ve legitimately _heard_ have sex? That’s something I don’t need to hear the intimate details of.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind, baby cousin,” Ryan said as he pointed in Arthur’s direction. Arthur nodded once even as he turned back to his textbooks and notes.

“And with _that_ , I am _done_ for a few days. These papers are making me lose hope in these freshmen,” Grayson sighed as he shoved the papers and pen away from himself.

“Aw, babe. I’m sure it will only get worse the longer you teach,” Ryan crooned as he pat Grayson’s cheek.

“No, because hopefully I won’t be teaching freshmen in coming semesters,” Grayson breathed in response as he grabbed Ryan’s laptop and opened it.

“I don’t blame you for not watching to teach them. I walked through the biology building the other day and some of the conversations I heard made _me_ lose hope in them,” Arthur stated as he flipped through his notes. “Like, I knew the answers to some of the things they were talking about and I haven’t taken a bio course since I was fifteen.”

“Ugh, I know. A vast majority of them are idiots,” Grayson groaned. “I’m not entirely sure how they got into the bio program.”

“Aw, not everyone can be like our bio class,” Hayden said sweetly as she bat her eyelashes. Grayson smiled and rolled his eyes before he opened up Facebook. Ryan made an interested noise and leaned over to hook his chin over Grayson’s shoulder.

“No, not everyone can be like all six of us bio and art double majors,” Grayson countered as he looked over at Hayden, who shrugged and then nodded once in agreement.

“Yeah. We were a good bunch,” Hayden breathed out wistfully. “I wonder how everyone is doing.”

“Last I heard from Kip he was going off to Cornell for grad school,” Grayson said.

“Aw! Good for him!” Hayden chirped. “Misty is apparently creating glass sculptures that all relate to biology.”

“Yeah, I saw. I nearly bought the octopus from her,” Grayson laughed.

“I nearly bought the DNA helix, so I don’t blame you,” Hayden said with a small shrug. “Anyone else?”

“Uh, looks like Pat and Arden are planning their wedding,” Grayson hummed as he scrolled through his Facebook feed. Hayden made an interested noise and looked up while Ryan snorted.

“Speaking of [weddings](http://stiles-derpinski.tumblr.com/post/108363243019/teamsciles-x), could I play an important part in yours? Like the groom?” Ryan asked offhandedly, cheek still pressed to Grayson’s shoulder while Draco continued to roll around happily in his lap.

“I mean, I’m not a huge fan of my last name. I could use a new one41,” Grayson immediately responded with a small shrug. Ryan made a small, happy noise and pat Grayson’s arm. Hayden and Arthur simply stared at them with raised eyebrows, Arthur’s phone still raised slightly from whatever he’d been doing. Ryan’s brain seemed to catch up with him then and he froze, eyes going wide. Grayson felt Ryan freeze and looked down at Ryan curiously before he froze as well.

“About time y’all realized what just happened!” Hayden squawked as she threw her hands into the air. “Honestly! I’ve spent the last week containing myself for _that_?”

“A week?” Grayson asked in confusion as he looked between Ryan and Hayden. Ryan heaved out a breath and thumped his forehead against Grayson’s shoulder.

“Last week when Hayds and I ducked out while you and Art played Mario Kart? Went to go buy rings,” Ryan breathed. Grayson huffed out a breath and then touched his head against Ryan’s.

“I don’t care that it wasn’t anything formal. I would’ve said yes no matter what,” Grayson whispered. Ryan huffed out a small laugh and lifted his head to look Grayson in the eye. Grayson smiled and ducked down to kiss Ryan briefly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ryan replied with a small smile before he smacked a kiss to Grayson’s cheek. He grabbed Draco in his hand then and shot up to dart towards the bedroom.

“What are you doing?” Grayson asked with furrowed brows.

“Be right back!” Ryan threw over his shoulder as he threw himself towards his bedside table.

“I swear, if you give yourself a concussion right now…” Hayden warned.

“Shut up!” Ryan replied as he grabbed the ring box and then darted back out of the room.

“Is your ass fire quenched now?” Hayden asked with a quirked eyebrow when Ryan skipped back into the living room. Ryan just flashed a smile in her direction and dropped back onto the couch with Grayson. Draco chirruped and climbed his way up to Ryan’s shoulders to settle there and bite lightly at Ryan’s earlobe.

“Ryan is looking very pleased with himself,” Arthur commented with interest as he sat up fully.

“Well, if he just got what I think he did, he has a reason to be,” Hayden snorted as she settled back into her chair and watched with interest. Grayson simply stared at Ryan skeptically, one eyebrow raised. Ryan giggled and smiled in response before he grabbed Grayson’s hand and opened it to slide the box into it.

“Open it,” Ryan whispered, wide smile still plastered across his face. Grayson gave Ryan one last look before he obeyed slowly. Once Grayson had the box fully opened, he stared with wide eyes for a second before he raised his eyes to Ryan. Ryan bit at his lip and gave Grayson a hopeful smile as he shifted slightly.

Grayson surged forward then and pulled Ryan into a rough kiss. Ryan released a surprised hum but easily fell into the kiss as he smiled. Once they pulled apart, Grayson tipped their foreheads together and released a huffed laugh.

“I think it’s a good thing these came after the unintended proposal, otherwise Hayden and Arthur may have had to evacuate the premises,” Grayson whispered. Ryan barked out a laugh and reached out to pull Grayson into a tight hug while Hayden and Arthur made disgusted noises.

“I fuckin’ told you he’d love the rings,” Hayden scoffed as she waved a hand in Ryan’s direction. Ryan smiled and rolled his eyes at her.

“Shut up, Hayden. I didn’t ask for your input at this moment in time,” Ryan told her. Hayden shrugged and crossed her legs on the chair.

“I hope you know, I accidentally got your accidental proposal on video. You just so happened to do it while I was starting to video Snapchat someone. But don’t worry, I didn’t send it. I totally saved it, though42,” Arthur informed with an excited smile.

“Thank you on both counts,” Ryan said with a grateful smile while Grayson nuzzled into his side happily.

“I got you, big cous,” Arthur said with a toothy smile and a scrunched nose. Ryan smiled and shook his head at Arthur, who chuckled and made a face at Ryan before he turned back to his notes.

“So, what now?” Hayden asked in excitement.

“Right now? I cuddle the absolute _shit_ out of my _fiancé_ and then later I’m gonna fuck him senseless,” Grayson hummed happily. Arthur heaved out a sigh and rolled his eyes while Hayden snorted and Ryan giggled happily.

“I expected nothing less,” Hayden breathed out as she turned on the TV. Ryan and Grayson both hummed in response and curled together on the couch with Draco bouncing between their shoulders.

Grayson hummed happily and took the thinner of the two rings out of the box to slide onto Ryan’s finger. Ryan smiled and then slid the thicker band onto Grayson’s finger before he kissed the tip of Grayson’s nose. Grayson smiled widely and bumped his nose into Ryan’s cheek. Ryan made a happy noise and settled back against Grayson’s chest as he twined their left hands together, feeling the rings slide against each other. Ryan squeezed Grayson’s hand then and smiled widely when Grayson squeezed back and tucked his face happily into Ryan’s neck.

“I always knew you could be my [ever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cts6y-v7hhU) [after](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YuxKl3mdt8),” Ryan whispered then. He felt Grayson chuckle and then giggled when Grayson kissed his neck, stubble scraping across his skin.

“[Forever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKzQCexQ-dY) after you will be my home43,” Grayson whispered back happily as they fell into each other, paying no attention to anything else in the room.

 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Reactions to the engagement:

  * Jeff and Artemis burst into tears while Riker hugs Ryan and Grayson tightly and Jay congratulates them. Caron says she will be Ryan’s maid of honor or else someone will be harmed. Avalon and Kyler ask Ryan and Grayson if they can have their wedding in a castle.
  * Lasey and Devin reply with a simple “it’s about time.”
  * Jude squeals and hates Ryan for not letting her vlog while Leon shakes his head at her. Luca bats his eyelids and asks to be the flower girl while Spencer skips around him and pretends to throw flower petals.
  * Charlie wails in excitement while Preston and Colby embrace each other and bounce around happily. Grayson’s mom cries happy tears quietly while Grayson’s dad claps them both on the back proudly.
  * Lydia screams in excitement and runs around set happily for nearly thirty minutes while everyone else gives Ryan and Grayson quiet congratulations.
  * Shannon and Kaleb exclaim happily and immediately begin to pull out bottles of alcohol. Ellie is extremely confused because she thought they’d been engaged for a while.
  * Ryan tells Matt over Skype, who freaks and impulsively flies to Pennsylvania with Miranda to congratulate them. Grayson gapes at them with wide eyes and Matt eats it up.
  * Ryan’s aunts and uncles (immediate and extended) give various reactions from tears to raucous applause to immediate popping open of champagne bottles. Grayson gets a bit overwhelmed by some of the reactions.
  * And surprisingly, no betting pools had been made pertaining to their engagement



 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 37) Draco is now a resident of Castellan Flats. Grayson would have moved in at the end of their junior year (about a year before this, end of the school year that they got together), and brought Draco along with him. Draco and Hestia adore each other and cuddle all the time. They both sometimes like to compete for attention sometimes, though. Hestia has had her ears bitten multiple times, but Draco always receives a nudge from her muzzle in retaliation. They are truly like siblings.  
> 38) This chloroform/chloroplast mistake was inspired by a friend I had during freshman year of college. He constantly said "chloroform" instead of "chloroplasts" during our BIO 1 lab, and I made fun of him every damn time. In his defense, he was a chem major and was taking bio courses for a possible minor (I think). Now, he didn't think chloroform served the same purpose as chloroplasts, though. His brain just didn't feel like having him say the correct things. I am honestly kinda sad I lost touch with him, especially under the conditions I lost touch with him. Don't let friends make you feel guilty for wanting to remain friends with someone they felt treated them poorly, even when they both shit on each other  
> 39) So, these rings. I ran a HUGE poll with my friends between the ones chosen and a set that was similar. One friend legit LOVED them and it inspired her and her gf to find rings similar for their own eventual engagement. She sent me the links to the rings they chose and they did damn well for themselves. YOU'RE WELCOME, BEST FRIEND, FOR THE INSPIRATION  
> 40) So, in reference as to what everyone does now that they're not in college: Ryan mainly does movies/shows. He always works with Lydia because he loves her and she loves him. They will go through the entire bizz together. Hayden mostly submits to exhibits in order to sell her work. As mentioned before, Grayson is a biology grad student at Swarthmore, which is a position I decided exists. According to the searches I did on the Swarthmore site, they do not have grad programs. This is supposed to take place in 2059 though (yes, I did the math), so I DO WHAT I WANT  
> 41) Grayson's line of accepting the proposal was actually fueled by a Percabeth post on tumblr. In the post Percy essentially walks up to Annabeth and is like "I hate your last name, you should get a new one. You could always borrow mine"...or something to that effect. I would have linked it if I knew how to find it. However, I don't really tend to tag anything PJO/HOO or percabeth, so I wasn't going to tear my hair out over it  
> 42) The video of Ryan's proposal definitely makes its rounds through the family and Ryan and Grayson are teased mercilessly for it. It is one of those things that is never forgotten and once they have kids, the video is shown to them. Their kids love it though and think it is adorable  
> 43) This note is going to be about both songs linked in the end. The first is Ever After (first link to studio version, second to live version). Ever After is one of my favorite MTrench songs and I will go down with that song. It is so gorgeous in sound and meaning. Unfortunately, the person that the song is about broke off her engagement to Josh Ramsay (lead singer) and was this was the inspiration for Dearly Departed, the second song linked. Dearly Departed is also a favorite and is gorgeous in sound beyond belief, despite the really depressing content. I realize I have Grayson use a lyric from this depressing af song, but the lyric taken out of context of the song as a whole is gorgeous, and that is what I was going for. Ryan and Grayson would definitely be the types to spout really cheesy, love soaked lyrics at each other throughout their lives, and you best believe Ryan got Grayson hooked on Marianas Trench. I highly recommend the band as a whole, and highly recommend the two songs linked. Dearly Departed might rip your heart out though, if you learn the story behind it. Basically, if you have questions about it and the band as a whole, feel free to ask (bc MTrench is love MTrench is life)
> 
> ANYWAY, that officially concludes this story. I hope you all enjoyed it if you made it all the way through. I really enjoyed writing this story, even if it got away from me. I am also proud of myself because I wrote ~101k in the month of November while in the middle of a 21 credit semester. That being said, the first time I read through this there were an ASTOUNDING amount of typos. There were words spelled completely wrong, words completely missing (which may have been because my comp is special and it sometimes deletes words, but I somehow missed it deleting words, soyeah), and just so many grammatical errors. I hadn't previously realized how much my heavy course load had effected my writing, but wow it was shoved back at me. But now I'm done with college forever, so there's that.  
> So yeah. Hope you enjoyed and feel free to click around any of my other works on here!


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